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arXiv · 1203.1978

Coherent Excitation of the 6S1/2 to 5D3/2 Electric Quadrupole Transition in 138Ba+

Adam Kleczewski·Matthew Hoffman·J. A. Sherman·Eric Magnuson·Boris B. Blinov·E. N. Fortson
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Abstract

The electric dipole-forbidden, quadrupole 6S1/2 <-> 5D3/2 transition in Ba+ near 2051 nm, with a natural linewidth of 13 mHz, is attractive for potential observation of parity non-conservation, and also as a clock transition for a barium ion optical frequency standard. This transition also offers a direct means of populating the metastable 5D3/2 state to measure the nuclear magnetic octupole moment in the odd barium isotopes. Light from a diode-pumped, solid state Tm,Ho:YLF laser operating at 2051 nm is used to coherently drive this transition between resolved Zeeman levels in a single trapped 138Ba+ ion. The frequency of the laser is stabilized to a high finesse Fabry Perot cavity at 1025 nm after being frequency doubled. Rabi oscillations on this transition indicate a laser-ion coherence time of 3 ms, most likely limited by ambient magnetic field fluctuations.

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Adam Kleczewski, Matthew Hoffman, J. A. Sherman, Eric Magnuson, Boris B. Blinov, E. N. Fortson. 2012-03-09. Coherent Excitation of the 6S1/2 to 5D3/2 Electric Quadrupole Transition in 138Ba+. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.85.043418

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