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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Measurement of Dipole Matrix Elements with a Single Trapped Ion
M Hettrich1, T Ruster1, H Kaufmann1
1QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Abstract:
We demonstrate a method to determine dipole matrix elements by comparing measurements of dispersive and absorptive light ion interactions. We measure the matrix element pertaining to the Ca II H line, i.e., the 4(2)S(1/2)↔4(2)P(1/2) transition of (40)Ca(+), for which we find the value 2.8928(43) ea(0). Moreover, the method allows us to deduce the lifetime of the 4(2)P(1/2) state to be 6.904(26) ns, which is in agreement with predictions from recent theoretical calculations and resolves a long-standing discrepancy between calculated values and experimental results.
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