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Precision lifetime measurements of a single trapped ion with ultrafast laser pulses

D. L. Moehring·B. B. Blinov·D. W. Gidley·R. N. Kohn Jr.·M. J. Madsen·T. D. Sanderson·R. S. Vallery·C. Monroe
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Abstract

We report precision measurements of the excited state lifetime of the $5p$ $^2P_{1/2}$ and $5p$ $^2P_{3/2}$ levels of a single trapped Cd$^+$ ion. The ion is excited with picosecond laser pulses from a mode-locked laser and the distribution of arrival times of spontaneously emitted photons is recorded. The resulting lifetimes are 3.148 $\pm$ 0.011 ns and 2.647 $\pm$ 0.010 ns for $^2P_{1/2}$ and $^2P_{3/2}$ respectively. With a total uncertainty of under 0.4%, these are among the most precise measurements of any atomic state lifetimes to date.

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D. L. Moehring, B. B. Blinov, D. W. Gidley, R. N. Kohn Jr., M. J. Madsen, T. D. Sanderson, R. S. Vallery, C. Monroe. 2005-05-15. Precision lifetime measurements of a single trapped ion with ultrafast laser pulses. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.73.023413

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