We report isotope-selective loading and trapping of doubly ionized ytterbium into an rf quadrupole trap. Isotopically pure clouds of $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ ${}^{+}$ ions were first loaded into the rf trap via a multistage photoionization process. The Yb ${}^{2+}$ ions were then produced by electron impact ionization of the trapped Yb ${}^{+}$ ions. The Yb ${}^{2+}$ ions were subsequently detected by rf excitation of their secular motion in the trap, which led to sympathetic heating and changes in the fluorescence of the laser-cooled Yb ${}^{+}$ ions. The presence of doubly charged Yb ions was further verified by the appearance of a dark band in the center of Yb ${}^{+}$ ion cloud after electron impact ionization. We discuss the possible formation of Yb ${}^{2+}$ H and similar compounds and the schemes for the direct optical detection of the Yb ${}^{2+}$ ions.We report isotope-selective loading and trapping of doubly ionized ytterbium into an rf quadrupole trap. Isotopically pure clouds of $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$${}^{+}$ ions were first loaded into the rf trap via a multistage photoionization process. The Yb${}^{2+}$ ions were then produced by electron impact ionization of the trapped Yb${}^{+}$ ions. The Yb${}^{2+}$ ions were subsequently detected by rf excitation of their secular motion in the trap, which led to sympathetic heating and changes in the fluorescence of the laser-cooled Yb${}^{+}$ ions. The presence of doubly charged Yb ions was further verified by the appearance of a dark band in the center of Yb${}^{+}$ ion cloud after electron impact ionization. We discuss the possible formation of Yb${}^{2+}$H and similar compounds and the schemes for the direct optical detection of the Yb${}^{2+}$ ions.

Physical Review ADec 27, 201010 citations

We report isotope-selective loading and trapping of doubly ionized ytterbium into an rf quadrupole trap. Isotopically pure clouds of

^{174}\mathrm{Yb}

{}^{+}

ions were first loaded into the rf trap via a multistage photoionization process. The Yb

{}^{2+}

ions were then produced by electron impact ionization of the trapped Yb

{}^{+}

ions. The Yb

{}^{2+}

ions were subsequently detected by rf excitation of their secular motion in the trap, which led to sympathetic heating and changes in the fluorescence of the laser-cooled Yb

{}^{+}

ions. The presence of doubly charged Yb ions was further verified by the appearance of a dark band in the center of Yb

{}^{+}

ion cloud after electron impact ionization. We discuss the possible formation of Yb

{}^{2+}

H and similar compounds and the schemes for the direct optical detection of the Yb

{}^{2+}

ions.