Half-open Penning trap with efficient light collection for precision laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions

We have conceived, built and operated a 'half-open' cylindrical Penning trap for the confinement and laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions. This trap allows fluorescence detection employing a solid angle which is about one order of magnitude larger than in conventional cylindrical Penning traps. At the same time, the desired electrostatic and magnetostatic properties of a closed-endcap cylindrical Penning trap are preserved in this congfiuration. We give a detailed account on the design and confinement properties, a characterization of the trap and show first results of light collection with in-trap produced highly charged ions

Switchable Magnetic Bottles and Field Gradients for Particle Traps

Versatile methods for the manipulation of individual quantum systems, such as confined particles, have become central elements in current developments in precision spectroscopy, frequency standards, quantum information processing, quantum simulation, and alike. For atomic and some subatomic particles, both neutral and charged, a precise control of magnetic fields is essen- tial. In this paper, we discuss possibilities for the creation of specific magnetic field configurations which find appli- cation in these areas. In particular, we pursue the idea of a magnetic bottle which can be switched on and off by transition between the normal and the superconducting phase of a suitable material in cryogenic environments, for example in trap experiments in moderate magnetic fields. Methods for a fine-tuning of the magnetic field and its linear and quadratic components in a trap are presented together with possible applications

Experimental Studies of Highly Charged Ions in a Penning Trap for the Measurement of Electron Magnetic Moments by Double-Resonance Spectroscopy

A precise measurement of bound-electron g factors in highly charged ions provides stringent tests for state-of-the-art theoretical calculations, such as relativistic electron-correlation, bound-state QED, and higher-order Zeeman effects. We excite the fine-structure transition of boronlike argon (40Ar13+) with laser radiation and probe microwave transitions between Zeeman sub-levels in the magnetic field of a Penning trap. From this laser-microwave double-resonance technique the g factor can be determined on a ppb level of accuracy in our apparatus. We have built a novel ’half-open’ Penning trap with high fluorescence-detection efficiency and an integrated electron-beam ion source for production of highly charged ions from gas, injected through a cryogenic valve. In the future, heavier ions shall be captured from the HITRAP facility at GSI and the method shall be applied to hyperfine-structure transitions of hydrogenlike bismuth (209Bi82+) in order to measure electronic and nuclear magnetic moments. This thesis presents experimental developments as well as production, cooling, transport, and long-term storage of highly charged argon ions