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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Experimental Methods for Trapping Ions Using Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps
Published on: August 17, 2017
Coupling Trapped Ions to a Nanomechanical Oscillator
Moritz Weegen1,2, Martino Poggio2,3, Stefan Willitsch1,2
1Department of Chemistry, <a href="https://ror.org/02s6k3f65">University of Basel</a>, Klingelbergstrasse 80, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Cold ions in traps are well-established, highly controllable systems with a wide variety of applications in quantum science, precision spectroscopy, clocks, and chemistry. Nanomechanical oscillators are used in advanced sensing applications and for exploring the border between classical and quantum physics. Here, we report on the implementation of a hybrid system combining a metallic nanowire with laser-cooled ions in a miniaturized ion trap. Operating the experiment in the classical regime, we demonstrate resonant and off-resonant coupling of the two systems and the coherent motional excitation of the ion by the mechanical drive of the nanowire. The present results prove the feasibility of mechanically coupling ions to nanooscillators and open up avenues for mechanically manipulating the motion of trapped ions as well as for the development of ion-mechanical hybrid quantum systems.
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