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Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Direct frequency comb spectroscopy of trapped ions.
A L Wolf1, S A van den Berg, W Ubachs
1Laser Centre Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. alwolf@few.vu.nl
Physical Review Letters
|August 8, 2009
Summary
Direct frequency comb spectroscopy was used on trapped calcium ions for the first time. This new method significantly improves the accuracy of measuring atomic transition frequencies.
Area of Science:
- Atomic physics
- Quantum optics
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Trapped ions are crucial for quantum information processing and precision measurements.
- Frequency comb spectroscopy offers high precision but direct application to trapped ions is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate direct frequency comb spectroscopy on trapped ions.
- To measure the 4s 2S1/2–4p 2P3/2 transition in calcium ions with unprecedented accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a frequency comb laser up-converted to 393 nm to excite the calcium ion transition.
- Employed a shelving scheme for detection to minimize background noise from nonresonant comb modes.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated direct excitation of the 4s 2S1/2–4p 2P3/2 transition in trapped calcium ions using a frequency comb.
- Achieved a measurement accuracy of 761 905 012.7(0.5) MHz, improving precision by over two orders of magnitude.
Conclusions:
- Direct frequency comb spectroscopy is a viable and highly accurate technique for studying trapped ions.
- This advancement opens new possibilities for precision measurements in atomic physics and quantum technologies.
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