arXiv subjects

P. O. Schmidt

Publications and source records attributed to P. O. Schmidt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Extreme-ultraviolet spectroscopy using quantum logic: a feasibility study for singly-ionized helium

Extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) spectroscopy represents an important new direction in precision physics, with potential applications ranging from the metrology of fundamental constants to tests of physics beyond the Standard Model. However, the application of quantum control methods for precision spectroscopy remains an open challenge in the XUV range. Here we present a novel quantum logic (QL) spectroscopy method for precision spectroscopy of weak XUV transitions, and numerically validate its feasibility for the $1S-2S$ transition at 40.81\,eV in singly-ionized helium (He$^{+}$). We propose a scheme based on a single He$^{+}$ ion co-trapped with a Be$^{+}$ ion in a Paul trap, and He$^{+}$ excitation with pairs of frequency-comb (FC) laser pulses upconverted to the XUV via High-Harmonic Generation (HHG). We investigate a nondestructive QL scheme to detect $1S-2S$ excitation, and compare its performance with a destructive readout based on state-selective ionization. Phase coherence of the XUV light is modelled and an optical cavity is used to filter the FC pulses prior to HHG. We model the motional excitation dynamics of trapped ions outside the Lamb-Dicke regime, and numerically validate a scheme we proposed in \cite{Grundeman} to cancel the first-order Doppler broadening and the recoil shift by synchronizing the ion's secular period with the time delay between the two excitation pulses. We show that precision spectroscopy of the $1S-2S$ transition in He$^{+}$ at the 10 kHz level is feasible, for improved tests of quantum electrodynamics (QED), a measurement of the Rydberg constant $R_{\infty}$ independent of hydrogen measurements, or an improved determination of the alpha particle and helion charge radii. The proposed method may also be applied to XUV spectroscopy of other ions outside the Lamb-Dicke regime.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonlinear calcium King plot constrains new bosons and nuclear properties

Nonlinearities in King plots (KP) of isotope shifts (IS) can reveal the existence of beyond-Standard-Model (BSM) interactions that couple electrons and neutrons. However, it is crucial to distinguish higher-order Standard Model (SM) effects from BSM physics. We measure the IS of the transitions ${{}^{3}P_{0}~\rightarrow~{}^{3}P_{1}}$ in $\mathrm{Ca}^{14+}$ and ${{}^{2}S_{1/2} \rightarrow {}^{2}D_{5/2}}$ in $\mathrm{Ca}^{+}$ with sub-Hz precision as well as the nuclear mass ratios with relative uncertainties below $4\times10^{-11}$ for the five stable, even isotopes of calcium (${}^{40,42,44,46,48}\mathrm{Ca}$). Combined, these measurements yield a calcium KP nonlinearity with a significance of $\sim 900 σ$. Precision calculations show that the nonlinearity cannot be fully accounted for by the expected largest higher-order SM effect, the second-order mass shift, and identify the little-studied nuclear polarization as the only remaining SM contribution that may be large enough to explain it. Despite the observed nonlinearity, we improve existing KP-based constraints on a hypothetical Yukawa interaction for most of the new boson masses between $10~\mathrm{eV/c^2}$ and $10^7~\mathrm{eV/c^2}$.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

Quadrupole transitions and quantum gates protected by continuous dynamic decoupling

Dynamical decoupling techniques are a versatile tool for engineering quantum states with tailored properties. In trapped ions, nested layers of continuous dynamical decoupling by means of radio-frequency field dressing can cancel dominant magnetic and electric shifts and therefore provide highly prolonged coherence times of electronic states. Exploiting this enhancement for frequency metrology, quantum simulation or quantum computation, poses the challenge to combine the decoupling with laser-ion interactions for the quantum control of electronic and motional states of trapped ions. Ultimately, this will require running quantum gates on qubits from dressed decoupled states. We provide here a compact representation of nested continuous dynamical decoupling in trapped ions, and apply it to electronic $S$ and $D$ states and optical quadrupole transitions. Our treatment provides all effective transition frequencies and Rabi rates, as well as the effective selection rules of these transitions. On this basis, we discuss the possibility of combining continuous dynamical decoupling and Mølmer-Sørensen gates.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Ab initio quantum theory of mass defect and time dilation in trapped-ion optical clocks

We derive a Hamiltonian for the external and internal dynamics of an electromagnetically bound, charged two-particle system in external electromagnetic and gravitational fields, including leading-order relativistic corrections. We apply this Hamiltonian to describe the relativistic coupling of the external and internal dynamics of cold ions in Paul traps, including the effects of micromotion, excess micromotion, and trap imperfections. This provides a systematic and fully quantum-mechanical treatment of relativistic frequency shifts in atomic clocks based on single trapped ions. Our approach reproduces well-known formulas for the second-order Doppler shift for thermal states, which were previously derived on the basis of semiclassical arguments. We complement and clarify recent discussions in the literature on the role of time dilation and mass defect in ion clocks.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2022

New Horizons: Scalar and Vector Ultralight Dark Matter

The last decade has seen unprecedented effort in dark matter model building at all mass scales coupled with the design of numerous new detection strategies. Transformative advances in quantum technologies have led to a plethora of new high-precision quantum sensors and dark matter detection strategies for ultralight ($<10\,$eV) bosonic dark matter that can be described by an oscillating classical, largely coherent field. This white paper focuses on searches for wavelike scalar and vector dark matter candidates.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2021

An ultralow-noise superconducting radio-frequency ion trap for frequency metrology with highly charged ions

We present a novel ultrastable superconducting radio-frequency (RF) ion trap realized as a combination of an RF cavity and a linear Paul trap. Its RF quadrupole mode at 34.52 MHz reaches a quality factor of $Q\approx2.3\times 10^5$ at a temperature of 4.1 K and is used to radially confine ions in an ultralow-noise pseudopotential. This concept is expected to strongly suppress motional heating rates and related frequency shifts which limit the ultimate accuracy achieved in advanced ion traps for frequency metrology. Running with its low-vibration cryogenic cooling system, electron beam ion trap and deceleration beamline supplying highly charged ions (HCI), the superconducting trap offers ideal conditions for optical frequency metrology with ionic species. We report its proof-of-principle operation as a quadrupole mass filter with HCI, and trapping of Doppler-cooled ${}^9\text{Be}^+$ Coulomb crystals.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

The Heidelberg compact electron beam ion traps

Electron beam ion traps (EBIT) are ideal tools for both production and study of highly charged ions (HCI). In order to reduce their construction, maintenance, and operation costs we have developed a novel, compact, room-temperature design, the Heidelberg Compact EBIT (HC-EBIT). Four already commissioned devices operate at the strongest fields (up to 0.86 T) reported for such EBITs using permanent magnets, run electron beam currents up to 80 mA and energies up to 10 keV. They demonstrate HCI production, trapping, and extraction of pulsed Ar$^{16+}$ bunches and continuous 100 pA ion beams of highly charged Xe up to charge state 29+, already with a 4 mA, 2 keV electron beam. Moreover, HC-EBITs offer large solid-angle ports and thus high photon count rates, e. g., in x-ray spectroscopy of dielectronic recombination in HCIs up to Fe$^{24+}$, achieving an electron-energy resolving power of $E/ΔE > 1500$ at 5 keV. Besides traditional on-axis electron guns, we have also implemented a novel off-axis gun for laser, synchrotron, and free-electron laser applications, offering clear optical access along the trap axis. We report on its first operation at a synchrotron radiation facility demonstrating resonant photoexcitation of highly charged oxygen.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Coherent laser spectroscopy of highly charged ions using quantum logic

Precision spectroscopy of atomic systems is an invaluable tool for the advancement of our understanding of fundamental interactions and symmetries. Recently, highly charged ions (HCI) have been proposed for sensitive tests of physics beyond the Standard Model and as candidates for high-accuracy atomic clocks. However, the implementation of these ideas has been hindered by the parts-per-million level spectroscopic accuracies achieved to date. Here, we cool a trapped HCI to the lowest reported temperatures, and introduce coherent laser spectroscopy on HCI with an eight orders of magnitude leap in precision. We probe the forbidden optical transition in $^{40}$Ar$^{13+}$ at 441 nm using quantum-logic spectroscopy and measure both its excited-state lifetime and $g$-factor. Our work ultimately unlocks the potential of HCI, a large, ubiquitous atomic class, for quantum information processing, novel frequency standards, and highly sensitive tests of fundamental physics, such as searching for dark matter candidates or violations of fundamental symmetries.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Optical clocks based on the Cf$^{15+}$ and Cf$^{17+}$ ions

Recent experimental progress in cooling, trapping, and quantum logic spectroscopy of highly-charged ions (HCIs) made HCIs accessible for high resolution spectroscopy and precision fundamental studies. Based on these achievements, we explore a possibility to develop optical clocks using transitions between the ground and a low-lying excited state in the Cf$^{15+}$ and Cf$^{17+}$ ions. Using a high-accuracy relativistic method of calculation we predicted the wavelengths of clock transitions, calculated relevant atomic properties, and analyzed a number of systematic effects (such as the electric quadrupole-, micromotion-, and quadratic Zeeman shifts of the clock transitions) that affect the accuracy and stability of the optical clocks. We also calculated magnetic dipole hyperfine-structure constants of the clock states and the blackbody radiation shifts of the clock transitions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2019

Detection of the $5p-4f$ orbital crossing and its optical clock transition in Pr$^{9+}$

Recent theoretical works have proposed atomic clocks based on narrow optical transitions in highly charged ions. The most interesting candidates for searches of new physics are those which occur at rare orbital crossings where the shell structure of the periodic table is reordered. There are only three such crossings expected to be accessible in highly charged ions, and hitherto none have been observed as both experiment and theory have proven difficult. In this work we observe an orbital crossing in highly charged ions for the first time, in a system chosen to be tractable from both sides: Pr$^{9+}$. We present electron beam ion trap measurements of its spectra, including the inter-configuration lines that reveal the sought-after crossing. The proposed nHz-wide clock line, found to be at 452.334(1) nm, proceeds through hyperfine admixture of its upper state with an E2-decaying level. With state-of-the-art calculations we show that it has a very high sensitivity to new physics and extremely low sensitivity to external perturbations, making it a unique candidate for proposed precision studies.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2019

Non-linear isotope-shift effects in Be-like, B-like, and C-like argon

Violation of linearity of the King plot is investigated for a chain of partially stripped argon isotopes. The nonlinearity originates within the Standard Model from subtle contributions to the isotope shifts from next-to-leading order effects, which have never been systematically studied so far. In light atoms these nonlinear effects are dominated by the quadratic nuclear recoil ($\propto 1/M^2$ where $M$ is the nuclear mass). Large-scale relativistic calculations of the linear and quadratic mass shift and the field shift are performed for the $2P$ fine-structure transitions in Be-like, B-like, and C-like argon ions. Nonlinearities of the King plots from 5 to 30 kHz are found, which is four orders of magnitude larger than previous estimates in comparable systems. Accurate calculations of these effects are vital for identification of possible nonlinearities originating from physics beyond the Standard Model.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2019

Towards a Transportable Aluminium Ion Quantum Logic Optical Clock

With the advent of optical clocks featuring fractional frequency uncertainties on the order of $10^{-17}$ and below, new applications such as chronometric levelling with few-cm height resolution emerge. We are developing a transportable optical clock based on a single trapped aluminium ion, which is interrogated via quantum logic spectroscopy. We employ singly-charged calcium as the logic ion for sympathetic cooling, state preparation and readout. Here we present a simple and compact physics and laser package for manipulation of $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}^+$. Important features are a segmented multi-layer trap with separate loading and probing zones, a compact titanium vacuum chamber, a near-diffraction-limited imaging system with high numerical aperture based on a single biaspheric lens, and an all-in-fiber $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}^+$ repump laser system. We present preliminary estimates of the trap-induced frequency shifts on $^{27}\mathrm{Al}^+$, derived from measurements with a single calcium ion. The micromotion-induced second-order Doppler shift for $^{27}\mathrm{Al}^+$ has been determined to be \sods and the black-body radiation shift is $δν_\mathrm{BBR}/ν=(-4.0\pm0.4)\times10^{-18}$. Moreover, heating rates of 30 (7) quanta per second at trap frequencies of $ω_\mathrm{rad,Ca+} \approx2π\times2.5\,\mathrm{MHz}$ ($ω_\mathrm{ax,Ca+} \approx2π\times1.5\,\mathrm{MHz}$) in radial (axial) direction have been measured, enabling interrogation times of a few hundreds of milliseconds.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2019

Closed-cycle, low-vibration 4 K cryostat for ion traps and other applications

In-vacuo cryogenic environments are ideal for applications requiring both low temperatures and extremely low particle densities. This enables reaching long storage and coherence times for example in ion traps, essential requirements for experiments with highly charged ions, quantum computation, and optical clocks. We have developed a novel cryostat continuously refrigerated with a pulse-tube cryocooler and providing the lowest vibration level reported for such a closed-cycle system with 1 W cooling power for a <5 K experiment. A decoupling system suppresses vibrations from the cryocooler by three orders of magnitude down to a level of 10 nm peak amplitudes in the horizontal plane. Heat loads of about 40 W (at 45 K) and 1 W (at 4 K) are transferred from an experimental chamber, mounted on an optical table, to the cryocooler through a vacuum-insulated massive 120 kg inertial copper pendulum. The 1.4 m long pendulum allows installation of the cryocooler in a separate, acoustically isolated machine room. In the laser laboratory, we measured the residual vibrations using an interferometric setup. The positioning of the 4 K elements is reproduced to better than a few micrometer after a full thermal cycle to room temperature. Extreme high vacuum on the $10^{-15}$ mbar level is achieved. In collaboration with the Max-Planck-Intitut für Kernphysik (MPIK), such a setup is now in operation at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) for a next-generation optical clock experiment using highly charged ions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Highly charged ions: optical clocks and applications in fundamental physics

Recent developments in frequency metrology and optical clocks have been based on electronic transitions in atoms and singly charged ions as references. These systems have enabled relative frequency uncertainties at a level of a few parts in $10^{-18}$. This accomplishment not only allows for extremely accurate time and frequency measurements, but also to probe our understanding of fundamental physics, such as variation of fundamental constants, violation of the local Lorentz invariance, and forces beyond the Standard Model of Physics. In addition, novel clocks are driving the development of sophisticated technical applications. Crucial for applications of clocks in fundamental physics are a high sensitivity to effects beyond the Standard Model and Einstein's Theory of Relativity and a small frequency uncertainty of the clock. Highly charged ions offer both. They have been proposed as highly accurate clocks, since they possess optical transitions which can be extremely narrow and less sensitive to external perturbations compared to current atomic clock species. The selection of highly charged ions in different charge states offers narrow transitions that are among the most sensitive ones for a change in the fine-structure constant and the electron-to-proton mass ratio, as well as other new physics effects. Recent advances in trapping and sympathetic cooling of highly charged ions will in the future enable high accuracy optical spectroscopy. Progress in calculating the properties of selected highly charged ions has allowed the evaluation of systematic shifts and the prediction of the sensitivity to the "new physics" effects. This article reviews the current status of theory and experiment in the field.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

A highly stable monolithic enhancement cavity for SHG generation in the UV

We present a highly stable bow-tie power enhancement cavity for critical second-harmonic generation into the UV using a Brewster-cut $β$-BaB$_2$O$_4$ (BBO) nonlinear crystal. The cavity geometry is suitable for all UV wavelengths reachable with BBO and can be modified to accommodate anti-reflection coated crystals, extending its applicability to the entire wavelength range accessible with non-linear frequency conversion. The cavity is length-stabilized using a fast general purpose digital PI controller based on the open source STEMlab 125-14 (formerly Red Pitaya) system acting on a mirror mounted on a fast piezo actuator. We observe $130\,\mathrm{h}$ uninterrupted operation without decay in output power at $313\,\mathrm{nm}$. The robustness of the system has been confirmed by exposing it to accelerations of up to $1\,\mathrm{g}$ with less than $10\%$ in-lock output power variations. Furthermore, the cavity can withstand 30~minutes of acceleration exposure at a level of $3\,\mathrm{g}_\mathrm{rms}$ without substantial change in SHG output power, demonstrating that the design is suitable for transportable setups.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Unexpectedly large difference of the electron density at the nucleus in the 4p $^2$P$_{1/2,3/2}$ fine-structure doublet of Ca$^+$

We measured the isotope shift in the $^2$S$_{1/2}$-$^2$P$_{3/2}$ (D2) transition in singly-ionized calcium ions using photon recoil spectroscopy. The high accuracy of the technique enables us to resolve the difference between the isotope shifts of this transition to the previously measured isotopic shifts of the $^2$S$_{1/2}$-$^2$P$_{1/2}$ (D1) line. This so-called splitting isotope shift is extracted and exhibits a clear signature of field shift contributions. From the data we were able to extract the small difference of the field shift coefficient and mass shifts between the two transitions with high accuracy. This J-dependence is of relativistic origin and can be used to benchmark atomic structure calculations. As a first step, we use several ab initio atomic structure calculation methods to provide more accurate values for the field shift constants and their ratio. Remarkably, the high-accuracy value for the ratio of the field shift constants extracted from the experimental data is larger than all available theoretical predictions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Damage-free single-mode transmission of deep-UV light in hollow-core PCF

Transmission of UV light with high beam quality and pointing stability is desirable for many experiments in atomic, molecular and optical physics. In particular, laser cooling and coherent manipulation of trapped ions with transitions in the UV require stable, single-mode light delivery. Transmitting even ~2 mW CW light at 280 nm through silica solid-core fibers has previously been found to cause transmission degradation after just a few hours due to optical damage. We show that photonic crystal fiber of the kagomé type can be used for effectively single-mode transmission with acceptable loss and bending sensitivity. No transmission degradation was observed even after >100 hours of operation with 15 mW CW input power. In addition it is shown that implementation of the fiber in a trapped ion experiment significantly increases the coherence times of the internal state transfer due to an increase in beam pointing stability.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Tunable ion-photon entanglement in an optical cavity

Proposed quantum networks require both a quantum interface between light and matter and the coherent control of quantum states. A quantum interface can be realized by entangling the state of a single photon with the state of an atomic or solid-state quantum memory, as demonstrated in recent experiments with trapped ions, neutral atoms, atomic ensembles, and nitrogen-vacancy spins. The entangling interaction couples an initial quantum memory state to two possible light-matter states, and the atomic level structure of the memory determines the available coupling paths. In previous work, these paths' transition parameters determine the phase and amplitude of the final entangled state, unless the memory is initially prepared in a superposition state, a step that requires coherent control. Here we report the fully tunable entanglement of a single 40Ca+ ion and the polarization state of a single photon within an optical resonator. Our method, based on a bichromatic, cavity-mediated Raman transition, allows us to select two coupling paths and adjust their relative phase and amplitude. The cavity setting enables intrinsically deterministic, high-fidelity generation of any two-qubit entangled state. This approach is applicable to a broad range of candidate systems and thus presents itself as a promising method for distributing information within quantum networks.

quant-ph↗