The dynamics of a single trapped ion in a high density media: a stochastic approach

Abstract

Based on the Langevin equation, a stochastic formulation is implemented to describe the dynamics of a trapped ion in a bath of ultracold atoms, including an excess of micromotion. The ion dynamics is described following a hybrid analytical-numerical approach in which the ion is treated as a classical impurity in a thermal bath. As a result, the ion energy's time evolution and distribution are derived from studying the sympathetic cooling process. Furthermore, the ion dynamics under different stochastic noise terms is also considered to gain information on the bath properties' role in the system's energy transfer processes. Finally, the results obtained from this formulation are contrasted with those obtained with a more traditional Monte Carlo approach.