Peter F. Herskind

Surface-electrode point Paul trap

We present a model as well as experimental results for a surface electrode radiofrequency Paul trap that has a circular electrode geometry well suited for trapping single ions and two-dimensional planar ion crystals. The trap design is compatible with microfabrication and offers a simple method by which the height of the trapped ions above the surface may be changed in situ. We demonstrate trapping of single 88 Sr + ions over an ion height range of 200–1000 µm for several hours under Doppler laser cooling and use these to characterize the trap, finding good agreement with our model.

Second-harmonic generation of light at 544 and 272 nm from an ytterbium-doped distributed-feedback fiber laser

We report external cavity second-harmonic generation of light at 544 and 272 nm based on an ytterbium-doped distributed-feedback fiber laser. The nonlinear crystal used to generate light at 544 nm is LiNbO3, and the maximum output of the cavity is 845 mW, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 55%. In a second frequency-doubling step, using a beta-BaBa2O4 crystal, we generate up to 115 mW of light at 272 nm with a conversion efficiency of 14%.

Loading of large ion Coulomb crystals into a linear Paul trap incorporating an optical cavity

We report on the loading of large ion Coulomb crystals into a linear Paul trap incorporating a high-finesse optical cavity (ℱ∼3000). We show that, even though the 3-mm diameter dielectric cavity mirrors are placed between the trap electrodes and separated by only 12 mm, it is possible to produce in situ ion Coulomb crystals containing more than 105 calcium ions of various isotopes and with lengths of up to several millimeters along the cavity axis. We show that the number of ions inside the cavity mode is, in principle, high enough to achieve strong collective coupling between the ion Coulomb crystal and the cavity field. The results thus represent an important step towards ion trap based Cavity Quantum ElectroDynamics (CQED) experiments using cold ion Coulomb crystals.

An all-optical ion-loading technique for scalable microtrap architectures

An experimental demonstration of a novel all-optical technique for loading ion traps, which has particular application to microtrap architectures, is presented. The technique is based on photoionisation of an atomic beam created by pulsed laser ablation of a calcium target, and provides improved temporal control compared to traditional trap loading methods. Ion loading rates as high as 125 ions per second have so far been observed. Also described are observations of trap loading where Rydberg state atoms are photoionised by the ion Doppler cooling laser.

Microfabricated surface ion trap on a high-finesse optical mirror

A novel approach to optics integration in ion traps is demonstrated based on a surface electrode ion trap that is microfabricated on top of a dielectric mirror. Additional optical losses due to fabrication are found to be as low as 80 ppm for light at 422 nm. The integrated mirror is used to demonstrate light collection from, and imaging of, a single Sr88(+) ion trapped 169±4 μm above the mirror.

Laser-induced charging of microfabricated ion traps

Electrical charging of metal surfaces due to photoelectric generation of carriers is of concern in trapped ion quantum computation systems, due to the high sensitivity of the ions’ motional quantum states to deformation of the trapping potential. The charging induced by typical laser frequencies involved in Doppler cooling and quantum control is studied here, with microfabricated surface-electrode traps made of aluminum, copper, and gold, operated at 6 K with a single Sr+ ion trapped 100 μm above the trap surface. The lasers used are at 370, 405, 460, and 674 nm, and the typical photon flux at the trap is 1014 photons/cm2/sec. Charging is detected by monitoring the ion’s micromotion signal, which is related to the number of charges created on the trap. A wavelength and material dependence of the charging behavior is observed: Lasers at lower wavelengths cause more charging, and aluminum exhibits more charging than copper or gold. We describe the charging dynamic based on a rate-equation approach.

Positioning of the rf potential minimum line of a linear Paul trap with micrometer precision

We demonstrate a general technique to achieve a precise radial displacement of the nodal line of the radiofrequency (rf) field in a linear Paul trap. The technique relies on the selective adjustment of the load capacitance of the trap electrodes, achieved through the addition of capacitors to the basic resonant rf circuit used to drive the trap. Displacements of up to ~100 µm with micrometer precision are measured using a combination of fluorescence images of ion Coulomb crystals and coherent coupling of such crystals to a mode of an optical cavity. The displacements are made without measurable distortion of the shape or structure of the Coulomb crystals, as well as without introducing excess heating commonly associated with the radial displacement of crystals by adjustment through static potentials. We expect this technique to be of importance for future developments of microtrap architectures and ion-based cavity QED.

Surface-electrode ion trap with integrated light source

An atomic ion is trapped at the tip of a single-mode optical fiber in a cryogenic (8 K) surface-electrode ion trap. The fiber serves as an integrated source of laser light, which drives the quadrupole qubit transition of

Collective strong coupling between ion Coulomb crystals and an optical cavity field: Theory and experiment

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Transparent ion trap with integrated photodetector

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