English

Localization of ions within one-, two- and three-dimensional Coulomb crystals by a standing wave optical potential

Quantum Physics 2017-03-21 v1 Atomic Physics

Abstract

We demonstrate light-induced localization of Coulomb-interacting particles in multi-dimensional structures. Subwavelength localization of ions within small multi-dimensional Coulomb crystals by an intracavity optical standing wave field is evidenced by measuring the difference in scattering inside symmetrically red- and blue-detuned optical lattices and is observed even for ions undergoing substantial radial micromotion. These results are promising steps towards the structural control of ion Coulomb crystals by optical fields as well as for complex many-body simulations with ion crystals or for the investigation of heat transfer at the nanoscale, and have potential applications for ion-based cavity quantum electrodynamics, cavity optomechanics and ultracold ion chemistry.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1703.05089,
  title  = {Localization of ions within one-, two- and three-dimensional Coulomb crystals by a standing wave optical potential},
  author = {Thomas Lauprêtre and Rasmus B. Linnet and Ian D. Leroux and Aurélien Dantan and Michael Drewsen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1703.05089},
  year   = {2017}
}