Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Dark times in the resonance fluorescence of trapped 171 Yb ions caused by spontaneous quantum jumps to the 2 D 3/2 ( F = 2) state

D. Engelke, Chr. Tamm

Published Feb 10, 1996• 33 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The paper reports experimental investigations on 171 Yb ions confined in a radiofrequency Paul trap. Single ions are cooled and optically detected by laser excitation of the cycling F = 1 – F = 0 hyperfine component of the 2 S 1/2 – 2 P 1/2 resonance transition. The metastable 2 D 3/2 ( F = 1) level which is rapidly populated by decay from the 2 P 1/2 level is depleted by a second laser source. The resonance fluorescence signal exhibits dark periods due to a small rate of spontaneous transitions to the 2 D 3/2 ( F = 2) level which is coupled only weakly to the laser-cooling excitation cycle. Prospects for an optical frequency standard based on excitation of the narrow 2 S 1/2 ( F = 0) – 2 D 3/2 ( F = 2) transition of 171 Yb + at a wavelength of 435 nm are discussed.

DOI
10.1209/epl/i1996-00345-2

Related papers

Resonance fluorescence spectrum of a trapped ion undergoing quantum jumps

V. Bühner, Chr. Tamm

We experimentally investigate the resonance fluorescence spectrum of single ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$ and ${}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}$ ions that are laser cooled to the Lamb-Dicke regime in a radiofrequency trap. While the fluorescence scattering of ${}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}$ is continuous, the ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$ fluorescence is interrupted by quantum jumps because a nonvanishing rate of spontaneous transitions leads to electron shelving in the metastable hyperfine sublevel ${}^{2}{D}_{3/2}(F=2).$ The average duration of the resulting dark periods can be varied by changing the intensity of a repumping laser field. Optical heterodyne detection is employed to analyze the fluorescence spectrum near the Rayleigh elastic scattering peak. It is found that the stochastic modulation of the fluorescence emission by quantum jumps gives rise to a Lorentzian component in the fluorescence spectrum, and that the linewidth of this component varies according to the average duration of the dark fluorescence periods. The experimental observations are in quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions.

arXiv:quant-ph/0003013•Physical Review A•May 3, 2000•19 citations

Optical frequency standard investigations on trapped /sup 171/Yb/sup +/

Chr. Tamm, D. Engelke

Summary form only given, as follows.Single /sup 171/Yb ions are laser cooled in a Paul trap, using laser sources based on semiconductor diode lasers. Excitation of the potential frequency-standard reference transition to the /sup 2/D/sub 3/2/, (F=2) hyperfine sublevel of /sup 171/Yb/sup +/ at a wavelength of 435.5 nm is demonstrated.

Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements•Dec 24, 2002•0 citations

Spectroscopy of the electric-quadrupole transition 2S1/2(F=0)–2D3/2(F=2) in trapped 171Yb+

Chr. Tamm, D. Engelke, V. Bühner

We experimentally demonstrate laser spectroscopy of the electric-quadrupole transition $6s{}^{2}{S}_{1/2}--5d{}^{2}{D}_{3/2}$ of a single trapped ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$ ion. The probed transition has a natural linewidth of 3.1 Hz, and is at a wavelength of 435.5 nm. A ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}$ ion is laser cooled to the range of the Doppler limit in a radio-frequency Paul trap. The $F=0--{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}=2,$ ${m}_{{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}}=0$ hyperfine component of the ${}^{2}{S}_{1/2}{--}^{2}{D}_{3/2}$ transition is excited by a laser source whose frequency is controlled by an optical reference cavity of high intrinsic stability. The recoilless carrier component of the vibrational sideband spectrum is resolved with a minimum linewidth of approximately 80 Hz, corresponding to a fractional frequency resolution of $1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}.$ This resolution limit is attributed to laser frequency instability. The effective decoherence rates of the residual ion motion are inferred from the observation that the axial and two radial low-frequency first-order secular-vibration sidebands show minimum linewidths in the range of 0.2--1 kHz. Prospects for an optical frequency standard based on the investigated atomic system are discussed.

Physical Review A•Apr 10, 2000•96 citations

Single, trapped Sr^+ atom: laser cooling and quantum jumps by means of the 4d^2D_5/2–5s^2S_1/2 transition

Alan A. Madej, J. D. Sankey

A single Sr+ atom was confined in a radio-frequency quadrupole trap and laser cooled with resonant laser light. Examination of the transition Doppler profile indicated an ion kinetic temperature of less than 500 mK. Quantum jumps into and out of the metastable 4d(2)D(5/2) level were observed by laser excitation on the electric-quadrupole-allowed transition from the ground state at 674 nm. The dark and bright periods in the strong fluorescence showed variations owing to the applied driving field on the electric-quadrupole transition. These results provide an improved determination of tau = 372 +/- 25 msec for the natural metastable-state lifetime.

Optics Letters•May 15, 1990•68 citations

COMPARISON OF TWO SINGLE-ION OPTICAL FREQUENCY STANDARDS AT THE SUB-HERTZ LEVEL

Chr. Tamm, T. Schneider, E. Peik

We describe experimental investigations on an optical frequency standard based on a laser cooled 171Yb+ ion confined in a radiofrequency Paul trap. The electric-quadrupole transition from the 2S1/2(F=0) ground state to the 2D3/2(F=2) state at the wavelength of 436 nm is used as the reference transition. The reference transition is probed by a frequency-doubled, frequency-stabilized diode laser and is resolved with a Fourier-limited full halfwidth of approximately 30 Hz. In order to compare two 171Yb+ standards, separate frequency shift and servo systems are employed to stabilise the probe frequency to the reference transition line centers of two independently stored 171Yb+ ions. The present experimental results indicate a relative instability (Allan standard deviation)of the optical frequency difference between the two systems of sigma_y(1000 s)=1.0E-15 and a mean frequency difference of 0.2 Hz. Shifts in the range of several Hertz are observed in the frequency difference if a stationary electric field gradient is superimposed on the radiofrequency trap field. This measurement permits a first experimental estimate of the electric quadrupole moment of the 2D3/2 state of Yb+.

arXiv:physics/0402120•Laser Spectroscopy•Feb 1, 2004•3 citations

Laser cooling of trapped ytterbium ions using a four-level optical-excitation scheme

A.S. Bell, Patrick Robert Gill, Hugh A. Klein +3 more

We demonstrate laser cooling of $^{172}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ ions in a rf quadrupole trap using an alternative optical-excitation scheme. The metastable 4${\mathit{f}}^{14}$5${\mathit{d}}^{2}$${\mathit{D}}_{3/2}$ state of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$, to which ions decay if the resonance (cooling) transition is driven, is depleted by driving an optical transition at a wavelength of 935 nm, which is much more attractive than the 2.438 \ensuremath{\mu}m radiation used previously. This couples the metastable state to a fourth energy level from which the ions decay rapidly to the ground state. Fluorescence line shapes of the cooling transition indicate that small numbers of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ions were cooled in this way to kinetic temperatures below 1 K.

Physical Review A•Jul 1, 1991•76 citations
The paper reports experimental investigations on 171 Yb ions confined in a radiofrequency Paul trap. Single ions are cooled and optically detected by laser excitation of the cycling F = 1 – F = 0 hyperfine component of the 2 S 1/2 – 2 P 1/2 resonance transition. The metastable 2 D 3/2 ( F = 1) level which is rapidly populated by decay from the 2 P 1/2 level is depleted by a second laser source. The resonance fluorescence signal exhibits dark periods due to a small rate of spontaneous transitions to the 2 D 3/2 ( F = 2) level which is coupled only weakly to the laser-cooling excitation cycle. Prospects for an optical frequency standard based on excitation of the narrow 2 S 1/2 ( F = 0) – 2 D 3/2 ( F = 2) transition of 171 Yb + at a wavelength of 435 nm are discussed.
We experimentally investigate the resonance fluorescence spectrum of single 171Yb{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}171Yb and 172Yb{}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}172Yb ions that are laser cooled to the Lamb-Dicke regime in a radiofrequency trap. While the fluorescence scattering of 172Yb{}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}172Yb is continuous, the 171Yb{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}171Yb fluorescence is interrupted by quantum jumps because a nonvanishing rate of spontaneous transitions leads to electron shelving in the metastable hyperfine sublevel 2D3/2(F=2).{}^{2}{D}_{3/2}(F=2).2D3/2​(F=2). The average duration of the resulting dark periods can be varied by changing the intensity of a repumping laser field. Optical heterodyne detection is employed to analyze the fluorescence spectrum near the Rayleigh elastic scattering peak. It is found that the stochastic modulation of the fluorescence emission by quantum jumps gives rise to a Lorentzian component in the fluorescence spectrum, and that the linewidth of this component varies according to the average duration of the dark fluorescence periods. The experimental observations are in quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions.
We experimentally demonstrate laser spectroscopy of the electric-quadrupole transition 6s2S1/2−−5d2D3/26s{}^{2}{S}_{1/2}--5d{}^{2}{D}_{3/2}6s2S1/2​−−5d2D3/2​ of a single trapped 171Yb{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}171Yb ion. The probed transition has a natural linewidth of 3.1 Hz, and is at a wavelength of 435.5 nm. A 171Yb{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}171Yb ion is laser cooled to the range of the Doppler limit in a radio-frequency Paul trap. The $F=0--{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}=2,$ ${m}_{{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}}=0$ hyperfine component of the 2S1/2−−2D3/2{}^{2}{S}_{1/2}{--}^{2}{D}_{3/2}2S1/2​−−2D3/2​ transition is excited by a laser source whose frequency is controlled by an optical reference cavity of high intrinsic stability. The recoilless carrier component of the vibrational sideband spectrum is resolved with a minimum linewidth of approximately 80 Hz, corresponding to a fractional frequency resolution of $1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}.$ This resolution limit is attributed to laser frequency instability. The effective decoherence rates of the residual ion motion are inferred from the observation that the axial and two radial low-frequency first-order secular-vibration sidebands show minimum linewidths in the range of 0.2--1 kHz. Prospects for an optical frequency standard based on the investigated atomic system are discussed.
A single Sr+ atom was confined in a radio-frequency quadrupole trap and laser cooled with resonant laser light. Examination of the transition Doppler profile indicated an ion kinetic temperature of less than 500 mK. Quantum jumps into and out of the metastable 4d(2)D(5/2) level were observed by laser excitation on the electric-quadrupole-allowed transition from the ground state at 674 nm. The dark and bright periods in the strong fluorescence showed variations owing to the applied driving field on the electric-quadrupole transition. These results provide an improved determination of tau = 372 +/- 25 msec for the natural metastable-state lifetime.
We describe experimental investigations on an optical frequency standard based on a laser cooled 171Yb+ ion confined in a radiofrequency Paul trap. The electric-quadrupole transition from the 2S1/2(F=0) ground state to the 2D3/2(F=2) state at the wavelength of 436 nm is used as the reference transition. The reference transition is probed by a frequency-doubled, frequency-stabilized diode laser and is resolved with a Fourier-limited full halfwidth of approximately 30 Hz. In order to compare two 171Yb+ standards, separate frequency shift and servo systems are employed to stabilise the probe frequency to the reference transition line centers of two independently stored 171Yb+ ions. The present experimental results indicate a relative instability (Allan standard deviation)of the optical frequency difference between the two systems of sigma_y(1000 s)=1.0E-15 and a mean frequency difference of 0.2 Hz. Shifts in the range of several Hertz are observed in the frequency difference if a stationary electric field gradient is superimposed on the radiofrequency trap field. This measurement permits a first experimental estimate of the electric quadrupole moment of the 2D3/2 state of Yb+.
We demonstrate laser cooling of 172Yb+^{172}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}172Yb+ ions in a rf quadrupole trap using an alternative optical-excitation scheme. The metastable 4${\mathit{f}}^{14}555{\mathit{d}}^{2}$D3/2{\mathit{D}}_{3/2}D3/2​ state of Yb+{\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}Yb+, to which ions decay if the resonance (cooling) transition is driven, is depleted by driving an optical transition at a wavelength of 935 nm, which is much more attractive than the 2.438 \ensuremath{\mu}m radiation used previously. This couples the metastable state to a fourth energy level from which the ions decay rapidly to the ground state. Fluorescence line shapes of the cooling transition indicate that small numbers of Yb+{\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}Yb+ ions were cooled in this way to kinetic temperatures below 1 K.