Ionic crystals in a linear Paul trap

Laser cooling and isotope separation of Cd(+) ions conf ined in a linear Paul trap

Cadmium ions in a natural isotope mixture have been trapped in a linear Paul trap and laser cooled. The fluorescence spectra from all even isotopes, including the (108)Cd(+) isotopes with a natural abundance of 0.89%, were observed. Additionally, we eliminated the heavier isotopes from the trapping region by adjusting the tuning of the laser frequency and by changing the dc voltage applied to the end electrodes.

Sum-frequency generation of continuous-wave light at 194 nm

Over 2 mW of continuous-wave tunable 194-nm light is produced by sum-frequency mixing approximately 500 mW of 792-nm and 500 mW of 257-nm radiation in beta-barium borate (BBO). The powers in both fundamental beams are enhanced in separate ring cavities whose optical paths overlap in the Brewster-cut BBO crystal. Due to the higher circulating fundamental powers, the sum-frequency-generated power is nearly 2 orders of magnitude greater than previously reported values.