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

Optics Express

Diffusion of a single ion in a one-dimensional optical lattice

Stefan Schlipf, Hidetoshi Katori, Luca Perotti, HERBERT WALTHER

Published Jul 20, 1998• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present an experimental study of the spatial diffusion of a single ion in a polarization gradient field. A 24 Mg + ion was radially confined in a two-dimensional radio-frequency (rf) trap, while an optical lattice superimposed to a weak electric potential was applied along the free axis. With the help of a statistical analysis of single ion trajectories, a spatial diffusion constant was obtained as a function of optical potential depth. The results are compared to semiclassical theoretical models for trapped ions and neutral atoms.

DOI
10.1364/oe.3.000097

Related papers

Single Ions Trapped in a One-Dimensional Optical Lattice

Martin Enderlein, Thomas M. Huber, Christian Schneider +1 more

We report on three-dimensional optical trapping of single ions in a one-dimensional optical lattice formed by two counterpropagating laser beams. We characterize the trapping parameters of the standing-wave using the ion as a sensor stored in a hybrid trap consisting of a radio-frequency (rf), a dc, and the optical potential. When loading ions directly from the rf into the standing-wave trap, we observe a dominant heating rate. Monte Carlo simulations confirm rf-induced parametric excitations within the deep optical lattice as the main source. We demonstrate a way around this effect by an alternative transfer protocol which involves an intermediate step of optical confinement in a single-beam trap avoiding the temporal overlap of the standing-wave and the rf field. Implications arise for hybrid (rf-optical) and pure optical traps as platforms for ultracold chemistry experiments exploring atom-ion collisions or quantum simulation experiments with ions, or combinations of ions and atoms.

arXiv:1208.3329•Physical Review Letters•Dec 5, 2012•71 citations

Suppression of Ion Transport due to Long-Lived Subwavelength Localization by an Optical Lattice

Leon Karpa, Alexei Bylinskii, Dorian A. Gangloff +2 more

We report the localization of an ion by a one-dimensional optical lattice in the presence of an applied external force. The ion is confined radially by a radio frequency trap and axially by a combined electrostatic and optical-lattice potential. Using a resolved Raman sideband technique, one or several ions are cooled to a mean vibrational number <n>=(0.1±0.1) along the optical lattice. We measure the average position of a periodically driven ion with a resolution down to λ/40, and demonstrate localization to a single lattice site for up to 10 ms. This opens new possibilities for studying many-body systems with long-range interactions in periodic potentials, as well as fundamental models of friction.

arXiv:1304.0049•Physical Review Letters•Oct 16, 2013•46 citations

Pinning an Ion with an Intracavity Optical Lattice

Rasmus B. Linnet, Ian D. Leroux, Mathieu Marciante +2 more

We report one-dimensional pinning of a single ion by an optical lattice. A standing-wave cavity produces the lattice potential along the rf-field-free axis of a linear Paul trap. The ion's localization is detected by measuring its fluorescence when excited by standing-wave fields with the same period, but different spatial phases. The experiments agree with an analytical model of the localization process, which we test against numerical simulations. For the best localization achieved, the ion's average coupling to the cavity field is enhanced from 50% to 81(3)% of its maximum possible value, and we infer that the ion is bound in a lattice well with over 97% probability.

arXiv:1208.4005•Physical Review Letters•Dec 5, 2012•47 citations

Polarization Gradient Cooling of Trapped Ions

G. Birkl, John A. Yeazell, R. Rückerl +1 more

We report the first experimental demonstration of one-dimensional polarization gradient cooling of bound ions. The trapped particles are only weakly bound along the laser cooling axis. Nevertheless, the particle motion has to be treated quantum mechanically. The minimum kinetic energy is found when the depth of the optical potential approaches a quantum of the vibrational energy of the trapped ions. Cooling to low vibrational states of the trap has been observed. We have also produced the lowest one-dimensional temperature for an ion crystal.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Jul 20, 1994•29 citations

Trapping ions and atoms optically

Tobias Schaetz

Abstract Isolating neutral and charged particles from the environment is essential in precision experiments. For decades, this has been achieved by trapping ions with radio-frequency (RF) fields and neutral particles with optical fields. Recently, the trapping of ions by interaction with light has been demonstrated. This might permit the advantages of optical trapping and ions to be combined. For example, we would benefit from superimposing optical traps to investigate ensembles of ions and atoms in the absence of any RF fields and from the versatile and scalable trapping geometries featured by optical lattices. In particular, ions provide individual addressability, and electronic and motional degrees of freedom that can be coherently controlled and detected via high-fidelity, state-dependent operations. Their long-range Coulomb interaction is significantly larger compared to those of neutral atoms and molecules. This enables ultra-cold interaction and the chemistry of trapped ions and atoms to be studied, as well as providing a novel platform for higher-dimensional experimental quantum simulations. The aim of this topical review is to present the current state of the art and to discuss the current challenges and prospects of the emerging field.

arXiv:2105.01155•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Mar 28, 2017•40 citations

Anomalous diffusion and Lévy walks in optical lattices

Stephan Marksteiner, K. Ellinger, P. Zoller

We study theoretically the spatial diffusion (transport) of two-level atoms in one- and two-dimensional optical molasses derived from counterpropagating laser beams. We use both quantum Monte Carlo and semiclassical methods to study the microscopic characteristics of the atomic motion and their effect on the macroscopic behavior of the spatial distribution. We find that there exists a certain critical depth of the optical potential below which the atomic trajectories show L\'evy flights in space that last on a definite time scale (L\'evy walks). This behavior leads to a transition from Gaussian spatial diffusion to anomalous diffusion while crossing this critical potential depth. We show that only atoms with very high momentum are responsible for these L\'evy walks. This observation allows us to predict the critical parameters via a semiclassical Fokker-Planck equation approach. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

Physical Review A•May 1, 1996•198 citations
We present an experimental study of the spatial diffusion of a single ion in a polarization gradient field. A 24 Mg + ion was radially confined in a two-dimensional radio-frequency (rf) trap, while an optical lattice superimposed to a weak electric potential was applied along the free axis. With the help of a statistical analysis of single ion trajectories, a spatial diffusion constant was obtained as a function of optical potential depth. The results are compared to semiclassical theoretical models for trapped ions and neutral atoms.
We report on three-dimensional optical trapping of single ions in a one-dimensional optical lattice formed by two counterpropagating laser beams. We characterize the trapping parameters of the standing-wave using the ion as a sensor stored in a hybrid trap consisting of a radio-frequency (rf), a dc, and the optical potential. When loading ions directly from the rf into the standing-wave trap, we observe a dominant heating rate. Monte Carlo simulations confirm rf-induced parametric excitations within the deep optical lattice as the main source. We demonstrate a way around this effect by an alternative transfer protocol which involves an intermediate step of optical confinement in a single-beam trap avoiding the temporal overlap of the standing-wave and the rf field. Implications arise for hybrid (rf-optical) and pure optical traps as platforms for ultracold chemistry experiments exploring atom-ion collisions or quantum simulation experiments with ions, or combinations of ions and atoms.
We report the localization of an ion by a one-dimensional optical lattice in the presence of an applied external force. The ion is confined radially by a radio frequency trap and axially by a combined electrostatic and optical-lattice potential. Using a resolved Raman sideband technique, one or several ions are cooled to a mean vibrational number <n>=(0.1±0.1) along the optical lattice. We measure the average position of a periodically driven ion with a resolution down to λ/40, and demonstrate localization to a single lattice site for up to 10 ms. This opens new possibilities for studying many-body systems with long-range interactions in periodic potentials, as well as fundamental models of friction.
We report one-dimensional pinning of a single ion by an optical lattice. A standing-wave cavity produces the lattice potential along the rf-field-free axis of a linear Paul trap. The ion's localization is detected by measuring its fluorescence when excited by standing-wave fields with the same period, but different spatial phases. The experiments agree with an analytical model of the localization process, which we test against numerical simulations. For the best localization achieved, the ion's average coupling to the cavity field is enhanced from 50% to 81(3)% of its maximum possible value, and we infer that the ion is bound in a lattice well with over 97% probability.
We report the first experimental demonstration of one-dimensional polarization gradient cooling of bound ions. The trapped particles are only weakly bound along the laser cooling axis. Nevertheless, the particle motion has to be treated quantum mechanically. The minimum kinetic energy is found when the depth of the optical potential approaches a quantum of the vibrational energy of the trapped ions. Cooling to low vibrational states of the trap has been observed. We have also produced the lowest one-dimensional temperature for an ion crystal.
Abstract Isolating neutral and charged particles from the environment is essential in precision experiments. For decades, this has been achieved by trapping ions with radio-frequency (RF) fields and neutral particles with optical fields. Recently, the trapping of ions by interaction with light has been demonstrated. This might permit the advantages of optical trapping and ions to be combined. For example, we would benefit from superimposing optical traps to investigate ensembles of ions and atoms in the absence of any RF fields and from the versatile and scalable trapping geometries featured by optical lattices. In particular, ions provide individual addressability, and electronic and motional degrees of freedom that can be coherently controlled and detected via high-fidelity, state-dependent operations. Their long-range Coulomb interaction is significantly larger compared to those of neutral atoms and molecules. This enables ultra-cold interaction and the chemistry of trapped ions and atoms to be studied, as well as providing a novel platform for higher-dimensional experimental quantum simulations. The aim of this topical review is to present the current state of the art and to discuss the current challenges and prospects of the emerging field.
We study theoretically the spatial diffusion (transport) of two-level atoms in one- and two-dimensional optical molasses derived from counterpropagating laser beams. We use both quantum Monte Carlo and semiclassical methods to study the microscopic characteristics of the atomic motion and their effect on the macroscopic behavior of the spatial distribution. We find that there exists a certain critical depth of the optical potential below which the atomic trajectories show L\'evy flights in space that last on a definite time scale (L\'evy walks). This behavior leads to a transition from Gaussian spatial diffusion to anomalous diffusion while crossing this critical potential depth. We show that only atoms with very high momentum are responsible for these L\'evy walks. This observation allows us to predict the critical parameters via a semiclassical Fokker-Planck equation approach. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.