2011/12/07 by K. Zimmermann, M. V. Okhapkin, O. A. Herrera-Sancho +1 · 2 citations
Chemistry · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Ablation #Atomic and Molecular Physics #Atomic physics #Chemistry #Ion #Ion trap #Ion trapping #Laser #Laser ablation #Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma #Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications #Materials science #Optics #Physics #physics.atom-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s00340-012-4884-1
published as Applied Physics B 107, 883 (2012) · submitted to Appl. Phys. B., special issue on ion trapping
arxiv created 2011/12/07 · openalex publication_date 2012/02/06 · arxiv updated 2013/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The production of ions via laser ablation for the loading of radiofrequency (RF) ion traps is investigated using a nitrogen laser with a maximum pulse energy of 0.17 mJ and a peak intensity of about 250 MW/cm2. A time-of-flight mass spectrometer is used to measure the ion yield and the distribution of the charge states. Singly charged ions of elements that are presently considered for the use in optical clocks or quantum logic applications could be produced from metallic samples at a rate of the order of magnitude 105 ions per pulse. A linear Paul trap was loaded with Th+ ions produced by laser ablation. An overall ion production and trapping efficiency of 10-7 to 10-6 was attained. For ions injected individually, a dependence of the capture probability on the phase of the RF field has been predicted. In the experiment this was not observed, presumably because of collective effects within the ablation plume.