Pulsed laser inteferometry/Ion Trap 'RF can' stabilisation (Mu Young & Wen Yi)

Pulsed Laser Interferometry

We drive the clock transition in Ytterbium 171 + ions via a stimulated Raman transition involving a 355 nm, 120 MHz repetition rate and 10 ps pulsed laser. To ensure the pulses arrive at the ion at the same time, a rough alignment has been done via the use of a 'trombone': a pair of mirrors on a transnational stage which control the path length of one of the Raman beams. This project aims to use inteferometry of the two Raman beams in order to better align the arrival of the laser pulses onto the ion.

Ion trap 'RF Can' Stabilisation

In a Paul ion trap configuration, AC voltages has to be applied to electrodes for the confinement of ions. The frequency of this AC voltage is key to ensure long-term trapping as well as lengthening the coherence time of the ion. This project aims to stabilise (mainly via temperature) such a 'RF can' for better stability of the set-up.