A method of treating a particle beam is disclosed, of interest in particular for mass spectrometry for .sup.14C. A particle beam including positive ions is passed through a charge exchange cell containing a target gas. The target gas is electrically insulating at room temperature and pressure. At least some of the positive ions of the particle beam are converted to negative ions by interaction with the target gas. The particle beam incident at the charge exchange cell includes molecules and/or molecular ions which interact with the target gas to reduce the concentration of molecules as a result of repeated collisions with particles of the target gas. A corresponding mass spectrometry system is also disclosed.

A method of treating a particle beam is disclosed, of interest in particular for mass spectrometry for .sup.14C. A particle beam including positive ions is passed through a charge exchange cell containing a target gas. The target gas is electrically insulating at room temperature and pressure. At least some of the positive ions of the particle beam are converted to negative ions by interaction with the target gas. The particle beam incident at the charge exchange cell includes molecules and/or molecular ions which interact with the target gas to reduce the concentration of molecules as a result of repeated collisions with particles of the target gas. A corresponding mass spectrometry system is also disclosed.

Aspects of the present disclosure may include a method and/or a system for selecting a wavelength for a saturation beam, selecting a first intensity for the saturation beam, emitting the saturation beam at the first intensity, at an angle with respect to a surface of an ion trap, toward the surface of the ion trap, wherein the ion trap includes a plurality of trapped ions associated with a quantum information processing (QIP) system, and performing a first computation based on the plurality of trapped ions during an emission of the saturation beam at the first intensity.

Aspects of the present disclosure may include a method and/or a system for selecting a wavelength for a saturation beam, selecting a first intensity for the saturation beam, emitting the saturation beam at the first intensity, at an angle with respect to a surface of an ion trap, toward the surface of the ion trap, wherein the ion trap includes a plurality of trapped ions associated with a quantum information processing (QIP) system, and performing a first computation based on the plurality of trapped ions during an emission of the saturation beam at the first intensity.

A device for controlling trapped ions includes a carrier including a mounting surface. The device further includes a substrate including a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one opening extending through the substrate from the top surface to the bottom surface. The bottom surface of the substrate is arranged on the mounting surface of the carrier. The device further includes a structured electrode layer arranged on the top surface of the substrate. The structured electrode layer forms a plurality of electrodes of an ion trap configured to trap ions in a zone above the structured electrode layer. The device further includes a plurality of electrical coupling elements extending through the at least one opening of the substrate. The electrical coupling elements electrically couple the electrodes of the ion trap with a plurality of first electrical contacts arranged on the mounting surface of the carrier.

An ion trap device includes a dielectric substrate and a via hole extending through the dielectric substrate from a first main surface of the dielectric substrate to a second main surface of the dielectric substrate. The ion trap device further includes an electrically conductive etch stop layer arranged on the first main surface of the dielectric substrate, the etch stop layer covering the via hole. The ion trap device further includes a metal layer of an ion trap at least partially arranged on the etch stop layer and an electrically conductive material arranged in the via hole. The etch stop layer electrically couples the electrically conductive material and the metal layer.

An ion trap device includes a dielectric substrate and a via hole extending through the dielectric substrate from a first main surface of the dielectric substrate to a second main surface of the dielectric substrate. The ion trap device further includes an electrically conductive etch stop layer arranged on the first main surface of the dielectric substrate, the etch stop layer covering the via hole. The ion trap device further includes a metal layer of an ion trap at least partially arranged on the etch stop layer and an electrically conductive material arranged in the via hole. The etch stop layer electrically couples the electrically conductive material and the metal layer.