Physical Review Letters

Population trapping in excited Yb ions

H. Lehmitz, J. Hattendorf-Ledwoch, R. Blatt, H. Harde

Published May 1, 1989• 72 citations

Abstract

Resonant laser excitation of Yb ions confined in an rf ion trap is found to result in perfect population trapping in the highly metastable $^{2}\mathrm{F}_{7/2}$ state. The lifetime of this level is measured to be greater than 8 days. Population and depopulation of this level under narrow- and broad-band laser excitation conditions is investigated and its potentiality for ultimate-resolution laser spectroscopy indicated.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.62.2108

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Physical Review Letters

Population trapping in excited Yb ions

H. Lehmitz, J. Hattendorf-Ledwoch, R. Blatt, H. Harde

Published May 1, 1989• 72 citations

Publisher

Abstract

Resonant laser excitation of Yb ions confined in an rf ion trap is found to result in perfect population trapping in the highly metastable

^{2}\mathrm{F}_{7/2}

state. The lifetime of this level is measured to be greater than 8 days. Population and depopulation of this level under narrow- and broad-band laser excitation conditions is investigated and its potentiality for ultimate-resolution laser spectroscopy indicated.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.62.2108

Related papers

Collisional population transfer in trapped Yb+ ions

Martin M. Schauer, James R. Danielson, Angela-Maithy N. Nguyen +3 more

Long-lived metastable states of ${\text{Yb}}^{+}$ ions are used for atomic frequency standards, precision measurements, and quantum information research. The effect of population trapping and transfer in these states must be well understood. We report here the transfer of ${\text{Yb}}^{+}$ ions into the long-lived ${^{2}F}_{7/2}$ state by means of collisions between He buffer gas and ${\text{Yb}}^{+}$ ions held in a linear Paul trap. Transfer rates were measured as functions of buffer-gas pressure and repump-laser power, and the collisional population transfer rates were extracted. The measured transfer rate coefficients are $8.32(75)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ and $8.65(33)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }{\text{cm}}^{3}/\text{s}$ for the collisional processes ${^{2}P}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{^{2}D}_{5/2}$ and ${^{2}D}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{^{2}F}_{7/2}$, respectively.Long-lived metastable states of ${\text{Yb}}^{+}$ ions are used for atomic frequency standards, precision measurements, and quantum information research. The effect of population trapping and transfer in these states must be well understood. We report here the transfer of ${\text{Yb}}^{+}$ ions into the long-lived ${^{2}F}_{7/2}$ state by means of collisions between He buffer gas and ${\text{Yb}}^{+}$ ions held in a linear Paul trap. Transfer rates were measured as functions of buffer-gas pressure and repump-laser power, and the collisional population transfer rates were extracted. The measured transfer rate coefficients are $8.32(75)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ and $8.65(33)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }{\text{cm}}^{3}/\text{s}$ for the collisional processes ${^{2}P}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{^{2}D}_{5/2}$ and ${^{2}D}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{^{2}F}_{7/2}$, respectively.

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Efficient quenching of population trapping in excited Yb+

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We report on a study to determine the efficiency of various buffer gases in quenching the population trapping states of laser-excited ytterbium ions. The ions were confined in an rf-dc hybrid trap, and their $^{2}$ ${\mathit{S}}_{1/2}$ ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}}}^{2}$ ${\mathit{P}}_{3/2}$ transition was excited with 329-nm laser light. Buffer gases used include ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ , ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ , ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ , Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped-ion microwave frequency standard.We report on a study to determine the efficiency of various buffer gases in quenching the population trapping states of laser-excited ytterbium ions. The ions were confined in an rf-dc hybrid trap, and their $^{2}$${\mathit{S}}_{1/2}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}}}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}_{3/2}$ transition was excited with 329-nm laser light. Buffer gases used include ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$, Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped-ion microwave frequency standard.

Physical Review AApr 1, 199513 citations

Development of a trapped Yb/sup +/ frequency standard: efficient quenching of population trapping

David J. Seidel, Lute Maleki

We report on a study to determine the efficiency of various buffer gases in quenching the population trapping states of laser excited ytterbium ions. The ions were confined in an rf/dc hybrid trap, and their /sup 2/S/sub 1/2//spl hArr//sup 2/P/sub 3/2/ transition was excited with 329 nm laser light. Buffer gases used include H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified N/sub 2/ to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states, and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped ion microwave frequency standard.We report on a study to determine the efficiency of various buffer gases in quenching the population trapping states of laser excited ytterbium ions. The ions were confined in an rf/dc hybrid trap, and their /sup 2/S/sub 1/2//spl hArr//sup 2/P/sub 3/2/ transition was excited with 329 nm laser light. Buffer gases used include H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified N/sub 2/ to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states, and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped ion microwave frequency standard.

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The approaches to realize superslow relaxation receive growing attention for its correspondence to sharp optical resonance in frequency domain and to long term of information storage in time domain. Dephasing time as long as 2.6 mS was observed in the condensed matter of crystal under the temperature of 1.4K [1]. In RF ion trap Yb ion has been kept in its metastable excited state for 8 days [2]. Population trapping is one of the interested approaches recently. While most papers discussed it for Λ- or V-type three-level systems, Agarwarl et al has theoretically predicted the possibility of population trapping been established by frequency modulated laser field in two-level system [3]. The authors has demonstrated population trapping in high-lying state doublet and in intermediate state doublet via quantum interferences between two sum-frequency two-photon excitations in Y- and in rhomb-type four-level systems respectively [4].The approaches to realize superslow relaxation receive growing attention for its correspondence to sharp optical resonance in frequency domain and to long term of information storage in time domain. Dephasing time as long as 2.6 mS was observed in the condensed matter of crystal under the temperature of 1.4K [1]. In RF ion trap Yb ion has been kept in its metastable excited state for 8 days [2]. Population trapping is one of the interested approaches recently. While most papers discussed it for Λ- or V-type three-level systems, Agarwarl et al has theoretically predicted the possibility of population trapping been established by frequency modulated laser field in two-level system [3]. The authors has demonstrated population trapping in high-lying state doublet and in intermediate state doublet via quantum interferences between two sum-frequency two-photon excitations in Y- and in rhomb-type four-level systems respectively [4].

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OBSERVATION OF COMPLETE POPULATION TRAPPING IN AN EXCITED STATE OF Yb IONS

H. Lehmitz, J. Hattendorf-Ledwoch, R. Blatt +1 more

Ion traps are of current interest for high precision measurements of atomic splitting frequencies and they are widely discussed as new frequency standards [1, 2]. Recently they have also successfully been used to perform quantum jump experiments [3, 4]. The ion storage technique can successfully be applied to observe ions for long periods without perturbations and thus to eliminate transit time broadening and collisional effects. We were interested to make high resolution level splitting measurements with Yb ions which are proposed as a proper candidate in ion trap frequency standards [1]. When resonantly exciting the ions to the 6p2P1/2-state we measured a rapidly decreasing fluorescence signal. In order to explain this phenomenon we have investigated the excitation scheme of Yb+ in more detail (see Fig. 1).Ion traps are of current interest for high precision measurements of atomic splitting frequencies and they are widely discussed as new frequency standards [1, 2]. Recently they have also successfully been used to perform quantum jump experiments [3, 4]. The ion storage technique can successfully be applied to observe ions for long periods without perturbations and thus to eliminate transit time broadening and collisional effects. We were interested to make high resolution level splitting measurements with Yb ions which are proposed as a proper candidate in ion trap frequency standards [1]. When resonantly exciting the ions to the 6p2P1/2-state we measured a rapidly decreasing fluorescence signal. In order to explain this phenomenon we have investigated the excitation scheme of Yb+ in more detail (see Fig. 1).

Jul 18, 19880 citations

Studies of laser-cooled trapped Yb/sup +/ (frequency standard)

H. Arthur Klein, A.S. Bell, G. P. Barwood +2 more

Conference on Precision Electromagnetic MeasurementsDec 4, 20020 citations

Resonant laser excitation of Yb ions confined in an rf ion trap is found to result in perfect population trapping in the highly metastable

^{2}\mathrm{F}_{7/2}

Long-lived metastable states of

{\text{Yb}}^{+}

ions are used for atomic frequency standards, precision measurements, and quantum information research. The effect of population trapping and transfer in these states must be well understood. We report here the transfer of

{\text{Yb}}^{+}

ions into the long-lived

{^{2}F}_{7/2}

state by means of collisions between He buffer gas and

{\text{Yb}}^{+}

ions held in a linear Paul trap. Transfer rates were measured as functions of buffer-gas pressure and repump-laser power, and the collisional population transfer rates were extracted. The measured transfer rate coefficients are $8.32(75)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ and $8.65(33)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\text{ }{\text{cm}}^{3}/\text{s}$ for the collisional processes ${^{2}P}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{^{2}D}_{5/2}$ and ${^{2}D}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{^{2}F}_{7/2}$, respectively.

^{2}

{\mathit{S}}_{1/2}

${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}}}^{2}$

{\mathit{P}}_{3/2}

transition was excited with 329-nm laser light. Buffer gases used include

{\mathrm{H}}_{2}

{\mathrm{N}}_{2}

{\mathrm{CO}}_{2}

, Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified

{\mathrm{N}}_{2}

to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped-ion microwave frequency standard.