We describe a efficient way to photoionize strontium atoms in a linear radio-frequency trap. We use a 2-photon second order process to excite the autoionization resonance (4d2 + 5p2) 1D2. A doubled pulsed Ti:Saphire laser system is used at 431nm to provide 100fsec pulses at 82Mhz. The fabrication of the laser systems for addressing the Sr+ transitions necessary for laser cooling and excitation of quantum jumps, vacuum system and ion trap structure are also described in detail. With the current setup a easy and repeatable trapping of linear ion chains is achieved at UHV pressures.
I present the construction of a low-velocity intense source (LVIS) of laser-cooled neutral strontium using permanent ring magnets. The LVIS consists of a magneto-optical trap from which cold strontium is extracted in a well-collimated beam. I also present the development and implementation of a full suite of low-noise, high-bandwidth laser control electronics including a microcontroller unit. This microcontroller remotely controls and monitors the current driver, temperature controller, and PID lock circuit for each diode laser simultaneously. The current driver output is accurate to within 2 micro-amps and repeatable to with a few nano-amps. The noise spectral density of the current driver hits a floor of 10^(-10) amps per root Hz at ~50 Hz and has a modulation bandwidth of ~50 MHz. The PID lock-circuit includes a scan-balancing option that we have used to scan an AR coated laser diode ~30 GHz mode-hop free. I describe the construction of an 80 mW frequency doubled 461 nm laser system using PPKTP for cooling and trapping neutral strontium in the LVIS. The LVIS, the electronics systems, and the 461 nm laser system represent major milestones on the way to producing a matter-wave interferometer using Sr-87 ions. The interferometer is based on an optical Raman transition between the hyperfine ground states of the Sr-87 ion. The ions will be produced by exciting the strontium LVIS beam to an auto-ionizing state in the continuum. In the interferometer two half-pi pulses of light and one pi pulse will be delivered to the ions to split and recombine their wave functions. I present calculations of the predicted sensitivity and a discussion of the possible applications. I present a method for locking a 407.8 nm laser to the 5s doublet S J=1/2 to 5p doublet P J=3/2 strontium ion transition in a neutral vapor. I present calculations for the necessary vacuum levels for the experiment and describe the preparation and assembly of the vacuum apparatus. The major vacuum system consists of two connected elastomer sealed chambers: one at 10^(-7) Torr and the other at 10^(-10) Torr separated by a region of low conductance. I present a Sr vapor cell constructed from standard CF fittings that allows the strontium to be heated to ~730 C, which can also be run as a thermal beam. I present a method for protecting the viewports on small-form alkali-earth vapor cells using lead or indium foil during the evaporation of oxide layers. Finally, I report on the current status of the experiment as well as detail future work on the apparatus.
We report laser cooling and trapping of
224Ra+ ions. This was realized via two-step photoionization loading of radium into an ion trap. A robust source for
224Ra atoms, which have a 3.6-day half-life, was realized with an effusive oven containing
228Th, which has a 1.9-yr half-life, which continuously generates
224Ra via its $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay. We characterized the efficacy of this source and found that after depleting built-up radium the thorium decay provides a continuous source of radium atoms suitable for ion trapping. The vacuum system has been sealed for more than 6 months and continues to trap ions on demand. We also report a measurement of the $^{224}\mathrm{Ra} 7{s}^{2}{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{1}{\mathrm{S}}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7s7p{\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}}^{1}{\mathrm{P}}_{1}$ transition frequency: $621\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}043\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}830\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}60$ MHz, which is helpful for efficient photoionization. With this measurement and previous isotope shift measurements we find that the frequency of the same transition in
226Ra is $621\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}037\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}830\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}60$ MHz, which disagrees with the most precise measurement, $621\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}038\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}489\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15$ MHz, which is used for the recommended value in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Atomic Spectra Database.