Coherent control of large ion crystals in a Penning trap quantum simulator*

We will present recent achievements towards building a quantum simulator for transverse-field Ising-type Hamiltonians based on laser-cooled Coulomb crystals of ⁹Be⁺ in a Penning trap. We introduce the overall system design and describe key technical elements that have permitted site-resolved imaging of rapidly rotating 2D ion crystals with > 70 ions, stable over tens of seconds. Novel approaches to ion imaging using a room temperature APD-array-camera coupled to a microlens array are also presented as a means to achieve high-speed state detection with spatial resolution. In addition, we demonstrate coherent control over the ions’ electron spin using millimeter waves near 55 GHz via a custom high-stability source and delivery system.