Gilmore, K.
, Bohnet, J.
, Sawyer, B.
, Britton, J.
and Bollinger, J.
(2017),
Amplitude sensing below the zero-point fluctuations with a two-dimensional trapped-ion mechanical oscillator, Physical Review Letters, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=923013
(Accessed April 19, 2024)
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Amplitude sensing below the zero-point fluctuations with a two-dimensional trapped-ion mechanical oscillator
Published
Author(s)
, , Brian C. Sawyer, Joseph W. Britton,
Abstract
We present measurements of the amplitude of a center-of-mass (COM) motion of a two-dimensional ion crystal composed of 100 ions in a Penning trap. For motion off-resonant with the trap axial frequency we demonstrate measurements of amplitudes as small as 50 pm, 40 times smaller than the COM mode zero-point fluctuations. The basic technique employs a spin-dependent, optical-dipole force to couple the mechanical oscillation to the electron spins of the trapped ions, enabling a strong measurement of one quadrature of the COM motion through a readout of the spins. We show the limiting sensitivity of the measurement is set by spin projection noise and spin decoherence due to off-resonant light scattering from the optical-dipole force. Variations of the protocol demonstrated here can achieve a sensitivity below 20 pm/sqrt(Hz), which will be useful for detecting extremely weak forces (Citation
Physical Review Letters
Pub Type
Journals
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Keywords
electric field sensing, force sensing, Penning trap, quantum sensing, trapped ions, zero-point fluctuations
Citation
Created June 29, 2017, Updated September 27, 2017