The electric dipole-forbidden, quadrupole 6S1/2 5D3/2 transition in Ba+
near 2051 nm, with a natural linewidth of 13 mHz, is attractive for potential
observation of parity non-conservation, and also as a clock transition for a
barium ion optical frequency standard. This transition also offers a direct
means of populating the metastable 5D3/2 state to measure the nuclear magnetic
octupole moment in the odd barium isotopes. Light from a diode-pumped, solid
state Tm,Ho:YLF laser operating at 2051 nm is used to coherently drive this
transition between resolved Zeeman levels in a single trapped 138Ba+ ion. The
frequency of the laser is stabilized to a high finesse Fabry Perot cavity at
1025 nm after being frequency doubled. Rabi oscillations on this transition
indicate a laser-ion coherence time of 3 ms, most likely limited by ambient
magnetic field fluctuations.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure