Shuttling of ions for characterization of a microfabricated ion trap

Abstract

In this thesis, I present experimental results demonstrating the characterization of a planar Paul trap. I discuss the theory of ion trapping and analyze the voltages required for shuttling. Next, the characteristics of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) are calibrated, and this instrument is integrated into trapping experiments to test the viability of the analytic model. Combining theory with the capabilities of the DAC, I calculate that the new experimental system is capable of 3 nm-precision control of the ion. Taking advantage of this ion control, I present initial results for a lock-in micromotion detection method which minimizes stray fields around an ⁸⁸Sr+ ion using Fourier analysis on the ion fluorescence to detect resonance at the secular frequencies. This method drives the ion oscillator across resonance using a superimposed radiofrequency electric field, which allows for off-axis field measurements as well as trap characterization. With this method, the secular frequencies of the trap are measured and are observed to fall within 3.50[sigma] of the analytic prediction.