Boundary-Phase Control of Sequentially Addressed Trapped-Ion ZZ Interactions

Abstract

Motion-mediated trapped-ion interactions commonly coordinate state-dependent forces on both target ions. Sequential optical access reduces the number of concurrent target channels but makes the relative phase between disjoint force windows a control variable. We derive a complex near-resonant description in which each window generates a displacement vector and ordered symplectic products between vectors on different ions produce the ZZ phase. Only relative boundary phases affect this area; a common phase shift is a gauge transformation. Building on the experimental precedent for alternating single-ion addressing, we develop matched-envelope phase and contrast controls that isolate this boundary-phase dependence without target-window overlap or hidden force in the dark gaps. The analysis separates phase generation from differential closure, projector-common motion, deterministic local-Z phases, spectator coupling, and control-parameter transfer. A conditional-Ramsey sequence gives continuous and reset contrasts of 0.998 and 0.996, with a reset-induced phase separation of 0.581 rad modulo $π/2$. In the representative comparison, sequential control uses fewer concurrent target channels but greater normalized force action than independently calibrated simultaneous control. All results are model-level estimates within the stated Lamb-Dicke, rotating-wave, and apparatus-input limits.