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arXiv · 2309.03035

Optimized strategies for the quantum-state preparation of single trapped nitrogen molecular ions

Aleksandr Shlykov·Mikolaj Roguski·Stefan Willitsch
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Abstract

This work examines optimized strategies for the preparation of single molecular ions in well-defined rotational quantum states in an ion trap with the example of the molecular nitrogen ion N2+. It advances a two-step approach consisting of an initial threshold-photoionization stage which produces molecular ions with a high probability in the target state, followed by a measurement-based state purification of the sample. For this purpose, a resonance-enhanced threshold photoionization scheme for producing N2+ in its rovibrational ground state proposed by Gardner et al. [Sci. Rep. 9, 506 (2019)] was characterized. The molecular state was measured using a recently developed quantum-non-demolition state-detection method finding a total fidelity of 38(7)% for producing ground-state N2+ under the present experimental conditions. By discarding ions from the trap not found to be in the target state, essentially state-pure samples of single N2+ ions can be generated for subsequent state-specific experiments.

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Aleksandr Shlykov, Mikolaj Roguski, Stefan Willitsch. 2023-09-06. Optimized strategies for the quantum-state preparation of single trapped nitrogen molecular ions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.03035

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