Analysis of linear ion Paul traps using 3-D FEM and the azimuthal multipole expansion

0494368 - ÚPT 2019 RIV CZ eng C - Conference Paper (international conference)
Oral, Martin - Číp, Ondřej - Slodička, L.
Analysis of linear ion Paul traps using 3-D FEM and the azimuthal multipole expansion.
Recent Trends in Charged Particle Optics and Surface Physics Instrumentation. Proceedings of the 16th International Seminar. Brno: Institute of Scientific Instruments The Czech Academy of Sciences, 2018, s. 52-55. ISBN 978-80-87441-23-7.
[Recent Trends in Charged Particle Optics and Surface Physics Instrumentation. Skalský dvůr (CZ), 04.06.2018-08.06.2018]
R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36681G
Institutional support: RVO:68081731
Keywords : linear ion traps * atomic clock * electric RF fields * simulation of electrostatic fields * finite element method * multipole field expansion * ion trajectories * particle tracing
OECD category: Atomic, molecular and chemical physics (physics of atoms and molecules including collision, interaction with radiation, magnetic resonances, Mössbauer effect)

Radiofrequency (RF) Paul traps are valuable in the design and in the operation of highly stable
optical atomic clocks based on suitable trapped ions. The traditional setup involves a single
ion in an RF trap irradiated with a laser beam. The frequency of the laser light is then fine-tuned to match that of photons coming from an electronic transition in the atomic shell. The
achievable frequency stability is about 10-17 for laser-cooled ions. However, the stability can be
further improved by using heavy atoms (such as Thorium) and the more stable frequencies of
their nuclear transitions, and by setting up so-called Coulomb crystals, to improve the frequency measurement statistics by increasing the number of reference atoms. These techniques and their combination could reach relative stabilities beyond 10-20.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0287623