Systematic study of tunable laser cooling for trapped-ion experiments

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of quenched sideband cooling in trapped ions, introducing a theoretical simulation approach, experimentally benchmarking it with Yb+ ions, and exploring its implications for optical clock accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces a new theoretical method for simulating laser cooling dynamics and benchmarks it experimentally, advancing understanding of ion cooling regimes and their effects.

Findings

Optimal conditions for fast ground-state cooling identified

First experimental study of quenched cooling in various regimes

Impact of non-thermal distributions on optical clock shifts

Abstract

We report on a comparative analysis of quenched sideband cooling in trapped ions. We introduce a theoretical approach for time-efficient simulation of the temporal cooling characteristics and derive the optimal conditions providing fast laser cooling into the ion's motional ground state. The simulations were experimentally benchmarked with a single $^{172}$Yb$^+$ ion confined in a linear Paul trap. Sideband cooling was carried out on a narrow quadrupole transition, enhanced with an additional clear-out laser for controlling the effective linewidth of the cooling transition. Quench cooling was thus for the first time studied in the resolved sideband, intermediate and semi-classical regime. We discuss the non-thermal distribution of Fock states during laser cooling and reveal its impact on time dilation shifts in optical atomic clocks.