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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Lifetime of the level from quantum jump statistics of a single laser-cooled ion

G Ritter, U. Eichmann

Published Mar 14, 1997• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report the observation of quantum jumps in the fluorescence light of a single laser-cooled ion confined in an RF Paul trap. From about 3000 quantum jumps we determine the lifetime of the metastable level to be . Systematic errors have been reduced to a negligible level. Our result is compared to both existing theoretical and experimental data.

DOI
10.1088/0953-4075/30/5/003

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Physical Review Letters•Mar 27, 1995•33 citations
We report the observation of quantum jumps in the fluorescence light of a single laser-cooled ion confined in an RF Paul trap. From about 3000 quantum jumps we determine the lifetime of the metastable level to be . Systematic errors have been reduced to a negligible level. Our result is compared to both existing theoretical and experimental data.
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.
A single Ba+{\mathrm{Ba}}^{+}Ba+ atom was confined in a radio-frequency ion trap and cooled by near-resonant laser light. Quantum jumps into and out of the metastable 5d 2D5/2^{2}D_{5/2}2D5/2​ level were observed that followed the expected exponential distribution in dark periods to good agreement. Measurement of quantum-jump distributions together with careful measurements of the absolute partial pressures of all residual gas species enabled accurate measurements of the quenched 5d 2D5/2^{2}D_{5/2}2D5/2​ lifetime as a function of quenching gas pressure. Measurements of quenching were observed at pressures where the mean collision rate was on the order of 1 ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. The results yielded quenching rate constants for the metastable level for a series of gases that typically make up the residual gas environment of ultra-high-vacuum systems (H2{\mathrm{H}}_{2}H2​, He, CH4{\mathrm{CH}}_{4}CH4​, H2{\mathrm{H}}_{2}H2​O, CO, N2{\mathrm{N}}_{2}N2​, Ar, and CO2{\mathrm{CO}}_{2}CO2​) together with an improved value of the 52{5}^{2}52D5/2{\mathrm{D}}_{5/2}D5/2​ radiative lifetime of t0{t}_{0}t0​=34.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.5 s. The above quenching rate constants were then compared with classical ion-molecule collision theory. It was found that the quenching rates for molecular gases were comparable to the classical collision rates, while the rates for atomic gases were considerably lower.
We performed laser spectroscopy of In+{\mathrm{In}}^{+}In+ ions stored in a radio-frequency trap. The 5s2{\mathit{s}}^{2}s2 1^{1}1S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5s5p 3^{3}3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​ transition at 230.6 nm was excited and its hyperfine splitting and isotope shift have been measured. The lifetime of the 3^{3}3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​ state was measured using intensity modulated laser excitation: \ensuremath{\tau}(3{(}^{3}(3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​)=0.44(4) \ensuremath{\mu}s. A single indium ion was laser cooled using this intercombination line and dark periods in the fluorescence were observed when the metastable 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​ state was populated by a magnetic dipole decay from 3^{3}3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​. The radiative lifetime of the forbidden transition 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{1}$S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​ was determined from the duration of the dark periods: \ensuremath{\tau}(3{(}^{3}(3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​)=0.14(2) s. This value is compared to calculations based on perturbation theory. Prospects for an optical frequency standard using the narrow 5s2{\mathit{s}}^{2}s2 1^{1}1S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5s5p 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​ resonance at 236.5 nm of a single laser-cooled indium ion are discussed.
We performed laser spectroscopy of In+{\mathrm{In}}^{+}In+ ions stored in a radio-frequency trap. The 5s2{\mathit{s}}^{2}s2 1^{1}1S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5s5p 3^{3}3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​ transition at 230.6 nm was excited and its hyperfine splitting and isotope shift have been measured. The lifetime of the 3^{3}3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​ state was measured using intensity modulated laser excitation: \ensuremath{\tau}(3{(}^{3}(3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​)=0.44(4) \ensuremath{\mu}s. A single indium ion was laser cooled using this intercombination line and dark periods in the fluorescence were observed when the metastable 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​ state was populated by a magnetic dipole decay from 3^{3}3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​. The radiative lifetime of the forbidden transition 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{1}$S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​ was determined from the duration of the dark periods: \ensuremath{\tau}(3{(}^{3}(3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​)=0.14(2) s. This value is compared to calculations based on perturbation theory. Prospects for an optical frequency standard using the narrow 5s2{\mathit{s}}^{2}s2 1^{1}1S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5s5p 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​ resonance at 236.5 nm of a single laser-cooled indium ion are discussed.
Radiative decay rates connecting the lowest four energy levels of 198Hg+^{198}\mathrm{Hg}^{+}198Hg+ have been derived solely from an analysis of the fluctuations (quantum jumps) of the laser-induced fluorescence of the 194-nm first resonance transition of a single ion confined in a Paul trap. The natural linewidth of the 194-nm first resonance transition was also measured. The measured decay rates and branching ratios are in satisfactory agreement with theory.
When a single trapped ion is laser excited to a metastable state, its ``quantum jump'' inhibits the laser-excited light scattering on a resonance line. This event, and its inverse, modifies the distribution over the oscillator levels (n)(n)(n) of the ion's vibration in the trap. In particular, unsuccessful attempts to deexcite on vibrational sidebands decrease 〈n〉〈n〉〈n〉 to sub-Doppler values and may leave the ion in a ``trapped'' Fock state decoupled from the light.