A method of performing a computational process using a quantum computer includes generating a laser pulse sequence comprising a plurality of laser pulse segments used to perform an entangling gate operation on a first trapped ion and a second trapped ion of a plurality of trapped ions that are aligned in a first direction, each of the trapped ions having two frequency-separated states defining a qubit, and applying the generated laser pulse sequence to the first and second trapped ions. Each of the plurality of laser pulse segments has a pulse shape with ramps formed using a spline at a start and an end of each of the plurality of laser pulse segments.