Abstract
We apply rotating electric fields to ion plasmas in a Penning trap to obtain phase-locked rotation about the magnetic field axis. These plasmas, containing up to 106 9Be+ ions, are laser-cooled to millikelvin temperatures so that they freeze into solids. Single body-centered cubic (bcc) crystals have been observed by Bragg scattering in nearly spherical plasmas with ≳ 2 × 105 ions. The detection of the Bragg patterns is synchronized with the plasma rotation, so individual peaks are observed. With phase-locked rotation, the crystal lattice and its orientation can be stable for longer than 30 min or ∼108 rotations.
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Huang, XP., Bollinger, J., Itano, W. et al. Structure and control of Coulomb crystals in a Penning trap. Hyperfine Interactions 115, 41–45 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012628101250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012628101250