Sisyphus cooling of Yb+

Location: University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contact person: Prof. Rene Gerritsma Group website: Hybrid atom-ion Quantum Systems

Description: Hybrid experiments combining trapped ions with ultracold atoms offer intriguing prospects for buffer gas cooling, quantum simulation of condensed matter/many-body systems as well as for state-to-state quantum chemistry. Combining both atoms and ions is not a trivial task, yet in our experimental system consisting of an Yb-ion in a bath of lithium atoms we have been able to reach the regime where quantum effects emerge. In this project, you will work on the implementation of an additional cooling step for the Yb-ion, which will cool it closer to the ions’ groundstate. Then, using resolved sideband spectroscopy on the S1/2 ↔ D5/2 quadrupole transition you will characterize the newly achieved temperatures of the ion and answer the question, how much colder it is. This new feature will help to create a cold atom-ion system close to the s-wave regime.

Prerequisite knowledge: Atomic physics, affinity with experiments and working with lasers
Internship period and planned duration:Winter/Spring 2022, 4-6 months