159 research outputs found
Fast accumulation of ions in a dual trap
Transporting charged particles between different traps has become an
important feature in high-precision spectroscopy experiments of different
types. In many experiments in atomic and molecular physics, the optical probing
of the ions is not carried out at the same location as the creation or state
preparation. In our double linear radio-frequency trap, we have implemented a
fast protocol allowing to shuttle large ion clouds very efficiently between
traps, in times shorter than a millisecond. Moreover, our shuttling protocol is
a one-way process, allowing to add ions to an existing cloud without loss of
the already trapped sample. This feature makes accumulation possible, resulting
in the creation of large ion clouds. Experimental results show, that ion clouds
of large size are reached with laser-cooling, however, the described mechanism
does not rely on any cooling process
Correcting symmetry imperfections in linear multipole traps
Multipole radio-frequency traps are central to collisional experiments in
cryogenic environments. They also offer possibilities to generate new type of
ion crystals topologies and in particular the potential to create infinite
1D/2D structures: ion rings and ion tubes. However, multipole traps have also
been shown to be very sensitive to geometrical misalignment of the trap rods,
leading to additional local trapping minima. The present work proposes a method
to correct non-ideal potentials, by modifying the applied radio-frequency
amplitudes for each trap rod. This approach is discussed for the octupole trap,
leading to the restitution of the ideal Mexican-Hat-like pseudo-potential,
expected in multipole traps. The goodness of the compensation method is
quantified in terms of the choice of the diagnosis area, the residual trapping
potential variations, the required adaptation of the applied radio-frequency
voltage amplitudes, and the impact on the trapped ion structures. Experimental
implementation for macroscopic multipole traps is also discussed, in order to
propose a diagnostic method with respect to the resolution and stability of the
trap drive. Using the proposed compensation technique, we discuss the
feasibility of generating a homogeneous ion ring crystal, which is a measure of
quality for the obtained potential well
Two-step Doppler cooling of a three-level ladder system with an intermediate metastable level
Doppler laser cooling of a three-level ladder system using two near-resonant
laser fields is analyzed in the case of the intermediate level being metastable
while the upper level is short-lived. Analytical as well as numerical results
for e.g. obtainable scattering rates and achievable temperatures are presented.
When appropriate, comparisons with two-level single photon Doppler laser
cooling is made. These results are relevant to recent experimental Doppler
laser cooling investigations addressing intercombination lines in alkali-earth
metal atoms and quadrupole transitions in alkali-earth metal ions.Comment: accepted by Phys Rev
Anharmonic contributions in real RF linear quadrupole traps
See also erratum at : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1387380610001004International audienceThe radiofrequency quadrupole linear ion trap is a widely used device in physics and chemistry. When used for trapping of large ion clouds, the presence of anharmonic terms in the radiofrequency potential limits the total number of stored ions. In this paper, we have studied the anharmonic content of the trapping potential for different implementations of a quadrupole trap, searching for the geometry best suited for the trapping of large ion clouds. This is done by calculating the potential of a real trap using SIMION8.0, followed by a fit, which allows us to obtain the evolution of anharmonic terms for a large part of the inner volume of the trap
Terahertz frequency standard based on three-photon coherent population trapping
A scheme for a THz frequency standard based on three-photon coherent
population trapping in stored ions is proposed. Assuming the propagation
directions of the three lasers obey the phase matching condition, we show that
stability of few 10 at one second can be reached with a precision
limited by power broadening to in the less favorable case. The
referenced THz signal can be propagated over long distances, the useful
information being carried by the relative frequency of the three optical
photons.Comment: article soumis a PRL le 21 mars 2007, accepte le 10 mai, version 2
(24/05/2007
An ion ring in a linear multipole trap for optical frequency metrology
A ring crystal of ions trapped in a linear multipole trap is studied as a
basis for an optical frequency standard. The equilibrium conditions and cooling
possibilities are discussed through an analytical model and molecular dynamics
simulations. A configuration which reduces the frequency sensitivity to the
fluctuations of the number of trapped ions is proposed. The systematic shifts
for the electric quadrupole transition of calcium ions are evaluated for this
ring configuration. This study shows that a ring of 10 or 20 ions allows to
reach a short term stability better than for a single ion without introducing
limiting long term fluctuations
Evaluation of the ultimate performances of a Ca+ single-ion frequency standard
We numerically evaluate the expected performances of an optical frequency
standard at 729 nm based on a single calcium ion. The frequency stability is
studied through the Allan deviation and its dependence on the excitation method
(single Rabi pulse or two Ramsey pulses schemes) and the laser linewidth are
discussed. The minimum Allan deviation that can be expected is estimated to
with the
integration time. The frequency shifts induced by the environmental conditions
are evaluated to minimize the uncertainty of the proposed standard by chosing
the most suited environment for the ion. If using the odd isotope
Ca and a vessel cooled to 77 K, the expected relative shift is with an uncertainty of , mainly due to
the quadrupole shift induced by the unknown static electric field gradient .Comment: soumis le 27/07/04 a Physics Letters
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