Showing papers by "Rainer Blatt published in 1996"
TL;DR: In this regime, a variety of nonclassical states of motion can be prepared either by using laser pulses of well defined area, or by an adiabatic passage scheme based on the variation of the laser frequency.
Abstract: The interaction of a trapped ion with a laser beam in the strong-excitation regime is analyzed. In this regime, a variety of nonclassical states of motion can be prepared either by using laser pulses of well defined area, or by an adiabatic passage scheme based on the variation of the laser frequency. We show how these states can be used to investigate fundamental properties of quantum mechanics. We also study possible applications of this system to build an ion interferometer. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
83 citations
TL;DR: A method based on the measurement of the ground state population of the trap after a sudden change of the trapping potential shows how the Q(α) function and the quadrature distribution P(x, θ) can be measured directly.
Abstract: A method for the experimental reconstruction of the quantum state of motion for a single trapped ion is proposed. It is based on the measurement of the ground-state population of the trap after a sudden change of the trapping potential. In particular, we show how the $Q(\ensuremath{\alpha})$ function and the quadrature distribution $P(x, \ensuremath{\theta})$ can be measured directly. In an example we demonstrate the principle and analyze the sensitivity of the reconstruction process to experimental uncertainties as well as to finite grid limitations. Our method is not restricted to the Lamb-Dicke Limit and works in one or more dimensions.
71 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors summarized the recent theoretical work done on the generation and detection of nonclassical states of the motion of laser-cooled trapped ions, and provided formal theoretical analogies among the models of ions moving in a trap and cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) so that many of the fundamental questions can be investigated in a new and different physical setting.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the recent theoretical work done on the generation and detection of nonclassical states of the motion of laser-cooled trapped ions. An ion moving in a (harmonic) trapping potential is a realization of a quantum system consisting of an atom with two or more levels strongly coupled to a harmonic oscillator (the quantized ion motion) in the limit where coherent interactions can dominant over dissipative processes, and thus provides an ideal testing ground for these fundamental questions. There are formal theoretical analogies among the models of ions moving in a trap and cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED, or CQED) so that many of the fundamental questions can be investigated in the light of a new and different physical setting. Together with this opportunity to study and test the theory of quantum mechanics at a fundamental level, nonclassical states of ion motion also offer very interesting practical possibilities in a diverse range of fields, such as precision spectroscopy and, more recently, quantum computation.
50 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a master equation for the center-of-mass motion is used to numerically evaluate cooling rates and final temperatures for arbitrary light field configurations of trapped multilevel ions.
Abstract: Laser cooling of trapped multilevel ions is studied numerically. The ions are assumed to be localized to spatial dimensions smaller than the optical wavelength (Lamb-Dicke regime). A master equation for the center-of-mass motion is used to numerically evaluate cooling rates and final temperatures for arbitrary light field configurations. The results show both well-known cooling mechanisms (Doppler cooling, sideband cooling) and effects introduced by the presence of multiple atomic levels. Quantitative results are given for a trapped ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{+}$ ion. The numerical procedure can easily be adapted for all ions used in today's trapping experiments. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, non-classical states of light and matter can only be described and understood in terms of quantum mechanics and they are becoming increasingly important for applications in precision measurement and communication technology.
Abstract: Non-Classical states of light and matter can only be described and understood in terms of quantum mechanics. Although non-classical states of light are difficult to produce, they are becoming increasingly important for applications in precision measurement and communication technology. Non-classical states also occur naturally in the motion of electrons in atoms and molecules as shown, for example, by the quantization of the energy levels.
3 citations