Exploring Quantum Physics with Trapped Ions

J. F. Poyatos, S. A. Gardiner, R. Walser +3 more

Masatoshi Kajita

This engaging book presents the fundamentals of ion traps and their use in physics, chemistry and their technological applications. Following an overview of the types of traps and their operation, the book explores their key areas of application for the development of new physics, chemistry, or engineering at a level accessible by students. The introductory nature and broad coverage will also make the book essential reading for scientists who wish to understand and explore the use of ion traps in their research. Embracing optical manipulation, entanglement and exploitation in quantum computing, chemical reactivity, atomic clocks and testing fundamental physics this book provides a broad and accessible introduction to the world of ion traps and how our understanding and exploitation of trapped ions is furthering modern science and technology. Key features • An accessible overview of ion traps and their applications. • Extensive coverage includes relevant physics and applications in physics and chemistry. • Introduces the main areas of application in modern scientific research. • Appendices feature mathematical topics and descriptions for advanced readers.

Q. A. Turchette, B. E. King, Christopher J. Myatt +6 more

L.-L. Yan, Wei Wan, Liang Chen +4 more

Phase transitions have been a research focus in many-body physics over past decades. Cold ions, under strong Coulomb repulsion, provide a repealing paradigm of exploring phase transitions in stable confinement by electromagnetic field. We demonstrate various conformations of up to sixteen laser-cooled (40)Ca(+) ion crystals in a home-built surface-electrode trap, where besides the usually mentioned structural phase transition from the linear to the zigzag, two additional phase transitions to more complicated two-dimensional configurations are identified. The experimental observation agrees well with the numerical simulation. Heating due to micromotion of the ions is analysed by comparison of the numerical simulation with the experimental observation. Our investigation implies very rich and complicated many-body behaviour in the trapped-ion systems and provides effective mechanism for further exploring quantum phase transitions and quantum information processing with ultracold trapped ions.

Moritz Weegen, Martino Poggio, Stefan Willitsch

Cold ions in traps are well-established, highly controllable systems with a wide variety of applications in quantum science, precision spectroscopy, clocks, and chemistry. Nanomechanical oscillators are used in advanced sensing applications and for exploring the border between classical and quantum physics. Here, we report on the implementation of a hybrid system combining a metallic nanowire with laser-cooled ions in a miniaturized ion trap. Operating the experiment in the classical regime, we demonstrate resonant and off-resonant coupling of the two systems and the coherent motional excitation of the ion by the mechanical drive of the nanowire. The present results prove the feasibility of mechanically coupling ions to nanooscillators and open up avenues for mechanically manipulating the motion of trapped ions as well as for the development of ion-mechanical hybrid quantum systems.

Kendra vant, Dana J. Berkeland, M. G. Boshier +8 more