Shed-resistant thermal atom source

A method for operating a thermal atom source for a quantum information processing atomic system, comprising:

• configuring the thermal atom source for operation, the thermal atom source including:
• a container with a closed end and an open end, the container having inside a source of solid material near the closed end and a wadding between the source of solid material and the open end of the container;
• a heater coupled to the closed end of the container;
• one or more clamps configured to secure the container and the heater;
• and
• a current source coupled to the container and the heater to cause a temperature of the container and the heater to increase, which in turn causes the source of solid material to sublimate or melt and evaporate to release some of the solid material that then diffuses to the open end of the container through the wadding prior to being emitted as a flux from the open end of the container;
• applying, through the current source, a current to the container and the heater to produce a thermal profile that causes the temperature increase in the container and the heater;
• and
• providing the emitted flux from the open end of the container to an ion trap of the quantum information processing atomic system to confine one or more atomic ions for quantum bits;
• wherein the wadding is made of a sintered metal or a sinter ceramic that provides a circuitous path through which the at least a portion of the source of solid material diffuses.

A thermal atom source for quantum information processing atomic systems, comprising:

• a container with a closed end and an open end, the container having inside a source of solid material of a species of atoms used in a quantum information processing atomic system near the closed end and a wadding positioned between the source of solid material and the open end of the container, the wadding being configured and positioned to prevent the source of solid material or any byproducts of the source of solid material from falling out of the container in certain orientations of the container;
• a heater configured to provide radiation heating and positioned near the container;
• and
• one or more clamps configured to secure the container, wherein the radiation heating provided by the heater causes a temperature of the container to increase, which in turn causes the source of solid material to sublimate or melt and evaporate to release some of the solid material that then diffuses to the open end of the container through the wadding prior to being emitted as a flux of the species of atoms from the open end of the container for use by the quantum information processing atomic system;
• wherein the wadding is made of a sintered metal or a sinter ceramic that provides a circuitous path through which the at least a portion of the source material diffuses.

A thermal atom source for quantum information processing atomic systems, comprising:

• a container with a closed end and an open end, the container having inside a source of solid material of a species of atoms used in a quantum information processing atomic system near the closed end and a wadding positioned between the source of solid material and the open end of the container, the wadding being configured and positioned to prevent the source of solid material or any byproducts of the source of solid material from falling out of the container in certain orientations of the container;
• a heater coupled to the closed end of the container;
• one or more clamps configured to secure the container and the heater;
• and
• a current source coupled to the container and the heater to cause a temperature of the container and the heater to increase, which in turn causes the source of solid material to sublimate or melt and evaporate to release some of the solid material that then diffuses to the open end of the container through the wadding prior to being emitted as a flux of the species of atoms from the open end of the container for use by the quantum information processing atomic system;
• wherein the wadding is made of platinum such that the flux emitted from the open end of the container is a positive flux.