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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Dirac equation and quantum relativistic effects in a single trapped ion
1Instituto de Matemáticas y Física Fundamental, CSIC, Serrano 113-bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
We present a method of simulating the Dirac equation in 3+1 dimensions for a free spin-1/2 particle in a single trapped ion. The Dirac bispinor is represented by four ionic internal states, and position and momentum of the Dirac particle are associated with the respective ionic variables. We show also how to simulate the simplified 1+1 case, requiring the manipulation of only two internal levels and one motional degree of freedom. Moreover, we study relevant quantum-relativistic effects, like the Zitterbewegung and Klein's paradox, the transition from massless to massive fermions, and the relativistic and nonrelativistic limits, via the tuning of controllable experimental parameters.
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