Spin-dependent forces on trapped ions for phase-stable quantum gates and motional Schrodinger-cat states

Favored schemes for trapped-ion quantum logic gates use bichromatic laser fields to couple internal qubit states with external motion through a spin-dependent force. We introduce a new degree of freedom in this coupling that reduces its sensitivity to phase decoherence. We demonstrate bichromatic spin-dependent forces on a single trapped $^{111}$Cd$^+$ ion, and show that phase coherence of the resulting Schr{o}dinger-cat states of motion depends critically upon the spectral arrangement of the optical fields. This applies directly to the operation of entangling gates on multiple ions.