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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Sub-Hertz optical frequency comparisons between two trapped 171Yb+ ions
T Schneider1, E Peik, Chr Tamm
1Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany.
Abstract:
We compare the frequencies of the 6s2S(1/2)(F = 0)-->5d2D(3/2)(F = 2) reference transition in 171Yb+ for two single ions stored in independent traps. The quadrupole moment of the 5d2D(3/2) state is measured to be 9.32(48) x 10(-40) C m2 and from the quadratic Stark shift the relevant scalar and tensor polarizabilities are determined to be alphaS(S(1/2)) - alphaS(D(3/2)) = -6.9(1.4) x 10(-40) J m2/V2 and alphaT(D(3/2)) = -13.6(2.2) x 10(-40) J m2/V2, respectively. In the absence of external perturbations we find a mean frequency difference between the two trapped ions of 0.26(42) Hz, corresponding to a relative difference of 3.8(6.1) x 10(-16). This is comparable to the agreement found in the most accurate comparisons between cesium fountain clocks.
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