Use this URL to cite or link to this record in EThOS: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.684337
Title: Quantum dynamics of small numbers of ions in a Penning trap
Author: Stutter, Graham
ISNI:       0000 0004 5920 9044
Awarding Body: Imperial College London
Current Institution: Imperial College London
Date of Award: 2015
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Abstract:
Laser-cooled trapped ions are one of the main systems used in experiments in the fields of quantum optics and quantum information. There are two commonly-used types of ion trap, the radiofrequency trap and the Penning trap. In general, the RF trap has been more widely used in quantum information experiments, meaning that the set of experimental tools for conducting these types of experiments in a Penning trap is currently less complete. The aim of the work presented in this thesis is to increase this array of tools. Our experiment uses 40Ca+ ions in a Penning trap alongside lasers. Spectroscopy has been performed on single Doppler cooled ions, and on ions that have been prepared close to their ground state of motion using a multiple-stage sideband cooling technique resulting in an average phonon occupation number of $\nzbar = 0.029\pm 0.011$ from an initial $\nzbar \approx 24$. This corresponds to a quantum ground state population of $97\%$, which is close to the sideband cooling limit in our system. An axial heating rate measurement of $\dot{\bar{n}}_z=\SI{0.56\pm0.52}{\per\second}$ has also been obtained, which is the lowest recorded to date, due in part to the large dimensions of our trap. Additionally improved control of the Penning trap radial motion has been demonstrated and the average phonon occupation number of the modified cyclotron motion has been reduced from $\ncbar\approx150$ after Doppler cooling to $\ncbar=0.6$ after sideband cooling. Some preliminary single-ion coherent operations have also been performed. In the future we hope that this system of ground state cooled ions in a Penning trap can be used to generate highly-entangled states in two or more ions, with a view to performing simple quantum error-correcting codes and eventually an analogue quantum simulation of spin systems.
Supervisor: Thompson, Richard ; Segal, Danny Sponsor: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Qualification Name: Thesis (Ph.D.) Qualification Level: Doctoral
EThOS ID: uk.bl.ethos.684337  DOI: Not available
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