Systems and methods for beam shaping for large aspect ratio with a single cylindrical lens

A method for changing a shape of a laser beam used to address trapped ions of a quantum information processing (QIP) system, the method comprising:

• aligning a first cylindrical lens with the laser beam, the first cylindrical lens having a first radius of curvature and configured to produce a first shaped beam having a first ratio of the fast axis to the slow axis;
• dis-aligning the first cylindrical lens with the laser beam;
• and
• aligning a second cylindrical lens with the laser beam, the second cylindrical lens having a second radius of curvature different than the first radius of curvature and configured to produce a second shaped beam having a second ratio of the fast axis to the slow axis, wherein the second ratio is different than the first ratio.

A quantum information processing (QIP) system including:

• a laser source configured to produce a Gaussian laser beam;
• a cylindrical lens mounting bracket including:
• a first cylindrical lens configured to shape the Gaussian laser beam into a first shaped beam oriented relative to the ion trap such that a fast axis of the first shaped beam is aligned with an axis of the plurality of trapped ions, and a slow axis of the first shaped beam is traverse to the plurality of trapped ions, the first cylindrical lens having a first radius of curvature in the direction of the slow axis;
• a second cylindrical lens configured to shape the Gaussian laser beam into a second shaped beam oriented relative to the ion trap such that a fast axis of the second shaped beam is aligned with the axis of the plurality of trapped ions, and a slow axis of the second shaped beam is traverse to the plurality of trapped ions, the second cylindrical lens having a second radius of curvature in the direction of the slow axis, and the second radius of curvature being different than the first radius of curvature;
• and
• an ion trap including a plurality of trapped ions addressable by the shaped beam;
• and
• wherein the cylindrical lens mounting bracket is actuable relative to the Gaussian laser beam such that either the first cylindrical lens or the second cylindrical lens can be aligned with the Gaussian laser beam.