Measurement and control of polar molecules using trapped atomic ions

Abstract

We have studied a hybrid quantum system composed of a trapped ion and a polar molecule, and determined analytically its collective mode eigenfrequencies. Based on this, we propose a quantum protocol relying on the ion-dipole interaction and state-dependent forces to realize a quantum phase gate between them. I will discuss our calculations and present numerical results that demonstrate that this procedure can be used to determine the electric dipole moments of a broad range of heteronuclear molecules ¿from alkaline-earth hydrides such as CaH, to bialkali dimers as KRb¿ trapped together with an atomic ion as Ca+. I will discuss several experimental approaches to build and operate such a hybrid setup, and their potential application to molecular cooling, entangling ions and molecules, and mapping ordered phases of dipoles.