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Deterministic delivery of externally cold and precisely positioned single molecular ions

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Abstract

We present the preparation and deterministic delivery of a selectable number of externally cold molecular ions. A laser cooled ensemble of 24Mg+ ions subsequently confined in several linear Paul traps inter-connected via a quadrupole guide serves as a cold bath for a single or up to a few hundred molecular ions. Sympathetic cooling embeds the molecular ions in the crystalline structure. 24MgH+ ions that serve as a model system for a large variety of other possible molecular ions, are cooled down close to the Doppler limit and are positioned with an accuracy of one micrometer. After the production process, severely compromising the vacuum conditions, the molecular ion is efficiently transferred into nearly background-free environment. The transfer of a molecular ion between different traps as well as the control of the molecular ions in the traps is demonstrated. Schemes, optimized for the transfer of a specific number of ions, are realized and their efficiencies are evaluated. This versatile source applicable for broad charge-to-mass ratios of externally cold and precisely positioned molecular ions can serve as a container-free target preparation device well suited for diffraction or spectroscopic measurements on individual molecular ions at high repetition rates (kHz).

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  1. Charged Particle Optics programs, CPO Ltd.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank W. Schmid, T. Hasegawa, J. Bayerl, C. Kerzl, and T. Dou for their contributions and W. Fuss for fruitful discussions and his encouragement. Financial support is gratefully acknowledged by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the DFG cluster of Excellence: Munich Center for Advanced Photonics, the International Max Planck Research School on Advanced Photon Science (IMPRS-APS), and the EU research project PICC: The Physics of Ion Coulomb Crystals, funded under the European Community’s 7th Framework Programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut for Quantum Optics, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, 85748, Garching, Germany

    G. Leschhorn, S. Kahra & T. Schaetz

  2. Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 3a, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    G. Leschhorn & T. Schaetz

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  1. G. Leschhorn
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  2. S. Kahra
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  3. T. Schaetz
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Correspondence to T. Schaetz.

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Leschhorn, G., Kahra, S. & Schaetz, T. Deterministic delivery of externally cold and precisely positioned single molecular ions. Appl. Phys. B 108, 237–247 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-012-5102-x

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