Design of a stark microchip

The possibility of constructing scalable quantum computation systems in the near future is quite intriguing. Emergent systems based on polar molecules as qubits and quantum gates are considered among the most promising candidates. Controlled loading of the microtraps in a quantum-state-selective manner is a critical precursor to the formation and manipulation of qubits. This thesis details a design of a microchip capable of controlling the motion of molecules in high-field-seeking and low-field-seeking quantum states. The design is based on an alternative type of a Stark decelerator/accelerator, the so-called type-B, in which the electrode separation distance changes along the beam axis while the electric field switching time remains constant. Monte-Carlo simulation method shows that a 2-cm long device consisting of 100 stages can decelerate HCN-like polar molecules, in a phase-stable manner, from 200 m/s to a near standstill in about 150 microseconds. The same device can be operated `in reverse' to accelerate stationary or slow moving molecules from microtraps. Two different types of geometries for alternating-gradient (AG) focusing of molecular motion are proposed. Comparison of the electric field distribution to the ideal harmonic field, as well as an analysis of the field magnitudes and gradients show that both geometries should be able to effectively decelerate or accelerate molecules while maintaining their transverse stability and focus. Finally, we propose a new technique for achieving longitudinal and transverse stability using only the accelerating fields. This new method is similar to the alternating phase focusing (APF) used in charged particle accelerators but applied to the case of polar molecules. We showed using 1D trajectory simulations that this technique is capable of decelerating molecules in a phase-stable manner, but were unable to confirm transverse focusing