David Lucas

Abstract:

Atomic physics experiments commonly use millitesla-scale magnetic fields to provide a quantization axis. As atomic transition frequencies depend on the magnitude of this field, many experiments require a stable absolute field. Most setups use electromagnets, which require a power supply stability not usually met by commercially available units. We demonstrate the stabilization of a field of 14.6 mT to 4.3 nT rms noise (0.29 ppm), compared to noise of >100 nT without any stabilization. The rms noise is measured using a field-dependent hyperfine transition in a single 43Ca+ ion held in a Paul trap at the center of the magnetic field coils. For the 43Ca+ "atomic clock" qubit transition at 14.6 mT, which depends on the field only in second order, this would yield a projected coherence time of many hours. Our system consists of a feedback loop and a feedforward circuit that control the current through the field coils and could easily be adapted to other field amplitudes, making it suitable for other applications such as neutral atom traps.

Abstract:

Ion traps are often loaded from atomic beams produced by resistively heated ovens. We demonstrate an atomic oven which has been designed for fast control of the atomic flux density and reproducible construction. We study the limiting time constants of the system and, in tests with 40Ca, show we can reach the desired level of flux in 12 s, with no overshoot. Our results indicate that it may be possible to achieve an even faster response by applying an appropriate one-off heat treatment to the oven before it is used.