Method and apparatus for highly sensitive spectroscopy of trapped ions
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsDaniel P. Weitekamp, Pedro J. Pizarro
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are disclosed for detection of spectra of internal transitions via ion cyclotron resonance techniques. Details of ion containment in a Penning trap and coupling of spin to spatial motions by the addition of a magnetic bottle field are described in both calssical and quantum mechanical formalisms. The invention alters the axial motion of a single ion with a train of spin flips and monitors magnetic resonance through changes in the cyclotron frequency. Detection of such a signal for a single ion (or a small cloud) provides a sensitivity increase of ten to twenty orders of magnitude over conventional magnetic resonance techniques.
Claims20
An apparatus for detection of magnetic resonance spectra;
- the apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber;
- an ion trap including the trapping fields within said chamber for trapping at least one ion;
- means for exciting said ion for detection of its oscillating position;
- means for selectively introducing an electromagnetic field gradient within said chamber;
- means for detecting motion of the ion;
- and
- means for selectively coupling internal states of the ion to a near resonant radiation field in synchronism with its translational oscillation.
A method for detecting magnetic resonance spectra of trapped ions;
- the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) exciting said ions;
- (b) subjecting said ions to an electromagnetic field gradient;
- (c) detecting the motion of said ions;
- (d) applying modulated irradiation resonant at internal transitions of said ions in synchrony with their translational oscillation;
- (e) turning off said electromagnetic field gradient;
- (f) irradiating internal transition(s) so as to selectively modify populations of certain internal states;
- (g) turning on said electromagnetic field gradient;
- (h) repeating step (d);
- (i) repeating step (c);
- (j) comparing the results of step (i) with the results of step (c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.