A Whispering-Gallery Mode Optical Resonator

A quantum computing system, comprising:

• a whispering-gallery mode optical resonator configured to define a closed loop-like mode including an evanescent field portion, wherein the optical resonator is configured to be tuned to support a resonance frequency associated with a transition frequency of an atom;
• at least one trapping laser configured to cause the atom to be trapped adjacent the whispering-gallery mode optical resonator;
• at least one cooling laser configured to manipulate a state of the atom to thereby cool the atom;
• at least one optical atom presence detector for outputting an atom presence signal;
• and
• at least one processor configured to:
• control operation of the at least one trapping laser to cause the atom to be trapped adjacent the optical resonator and within the evanescent field portion;
• provide, based on the atom presence signal, an indication that the atom is trapped adjacent the optical resonator;
• and
• control operation of the at least one cooling laser and thereby cool the atom.

A quantum computing method, comprising:

• tuning a whispering-gallery mode optical resonator to support a resonance frequency associated with a transition frequency of an atom, the optical resonator being configured to define a closed loop-like mode including an evanescent field portion;
• controlling operation of at least one trapping laser to cause the atom to be trapped adjacent the optical resonator and within the evanescent field portion;
• providing, based on an atom presence signal from at least one optical atom presence detector, an indication that the atom is trapped adjacent the optical resonator;
• and
• controlling operation of at least one cooling laser to cool the atom, wherein the at least one cooling laser is configured to manipulate a state of the atom to thereby cool the atom.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a quantum computing method, the method comprising:

• tuning a whispering-gallery mode optical resonator to support a resonance frequency associated with a transition frequency of an atom, the optical resonator being configured to define a closed loop-like mode including an evanescent field portion;
• controlling operation of at least one trapping laser to cause the atom to be trapped adjacent the optical resonator and within the evanescent field portion;
• providing, based on an atom presence signal from at least one optical atom presence detector, an indication that the atom is trapped adjacent the optical resonator;
• and
• controlling operation of at least one cooling laser to cool the atom, wherein the at least one cooling laser is configured to manipulate a state of the atom to thereby cool the atom.