Microfabricated two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal lattice trap

We present the design, fabrication and experimental result of a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal lattice trap capable of trapping a lattice of charged particles. The microtrap consists of 29-hexagonal lattice sites each capable of trapping an ion. Each trapped ion has up to six neighbors with an ion-ion separation of 270.5 μm. A SOI-based structure was optimized to improve the trap performance substantially increasing the breakdown voltage (>1 kV) previously reported. Ytterbium (¹⁷⁴Yb^002B;) ions were successfully confined in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system by applying a radio frequency (RF) voltage of 455 V at a drive frequency Ω/2π = 32.2 MHz. In addition, our design is suitable to control the trapping height in situ by applying a secondary rf potentials. Numerical simulations of the 2D lattice trap demonstrated a large operating range by trapping ions as well as micro-particles with charge to mass ratio in order of 10^-4 to 10⁵ Kg/C at a frequency range of a few kilohertz to megahertz.