  We study the dynamics of Rydberg ions trapped in a linear Paul trap, and
discuss the properties of ionic Rydberg states in the presence of the static
and time-dependent electric fields constituting the trap. The interactions in a
system of many ions are investigated and coupled equations of the internal
electronic states and the external oscillator modes of a linear ion chain are
derived. We show that strong dipole-dipole interactions among the ions can be
achieved by microwave dressing fields. Using low-angular momentum states with
large quantum defect the internal dynamics can be mapped onto an effective spin
model of a pair of dressed Rydberg states that describes the dynamics of
Rydberg excitations in the ion crystal. We demonstrate that excitation transfer
through the ion chain can be achieved on a nanosecond timescale and discuss the
implementation of a fast two-qubit gate in the ion chain.
