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arXiv · 1109.6152

Linear Paul trap design for an optical clock with Coulomb crystals

Norbert Herschbach·Karsten Pyka·Jonas Keller·Tanja E. Mehlstäubler
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Abstract

We report on the design of a segmented linear Paul trap for optical clock applications using trapped ion Coulomb crystals. For an optical clock with an improved short-term stability and a fractional frequency uncertainty of 10^-18, we propose 115In+ ions sympathetically cooled by 172Yb+. We discuss the systematic frequency shifts of such a frequency standard. In particular, we elaborate on high precision calculations of the electric radiofrequency field of the ion trap using the finite element method. These calculations are used to find a scalable design with minimized excess micromotion of the ions at a level at which the corresponding second- order Doppler shift contributes less than 10^-18 to the relative uncertainty of the frequency standard.

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Norbert Herschbach, Karsten Pyka, Jonas Keller, Tanja E. Mehlstäubler. 2011-09-28. Linear Paul trap design for an optical clock with Coulomb crystals. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-011-4790-y

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