Improved Measurement of the Differential Polarizability Using Co-Trapped Ions

Area of Science:

• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Information Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Accurate measurement of static scalar polarizability is crucial for atomic physics and quantum information.
• Conventional methods for measuring ion polarizability are often limited by the need for precise laser intensity calibration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel
• polarizability scale
• scheme for measuring the differential static scalar polarizability of trapped ions.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a co-trapped reference ion (⁴⁰Ca⁺) with a target ion (²⁷Al⁺) in a linear Paul trap.
• Measuring the ratio of ac Stark shifts induced by an add-on infrared laser (1068 nm) on both ions.
• Circumventing the need for absolute laser intensity calibration.

Main Results:

• The differential static scalar polarizability of ²⁷Al⁺ was determined to be 0.416(14) atomic units.
• The relative uncertainty was reduced by approximately a factor of 4 compared to previous measurements, achieving 3.4%.
• The method's precision is expected to improve further with longer wavelength lasers.

Conclusions:

• The developed
• polarizability scale
• method offers a significant advancement in measuring ion polarizability with high precision.
• This technique simplifies experimental requirements by eliminating the need for laser intensity calibration.
• The improved accuracy for ²⁷Al⁺ polarizability has implications for atomic clocks and quantum computing research.