Trapped ion quantum computers have shown high fidelity full programmability for tens of qubits at once. The most important innovation to achieve this was to use surface traps, or chip traps, that are micro fabricated and allow complex control voltages. The next frontier, hundreds or even thousands of qubits, will require more innovation in the form of integration of new technologies into the trap chip. In the Noel lab, we aim to explore the possibilities of integrating new components such as active photonics, meta-materials, and other new materials to facilitate ion addressing, detection, and state preparation. Current projects include lithium niobate photonics in collaboration with Flux Photonics.