Physical Review A
Quantum theory of the stability region of an ion in a Paul trap
Wang Kelin, Feng Mang, Juhao Wu
Abstract
The stability regions of an ion in a two-dimensional Paul trap are studied by a quantum-mechanical treatment, which is very important for the experiment when the temperature is fairly low. The result is compared with a classical one published before by Paul [Rev. Mod. Phys. 62, 531 (1990)]. It is shown that their properties are quite similar and their differences are related to the quantum effect, which cannot be included within a classical description. All of these properties are discussed in detail.