Driving the 5D5/2 to 6P1/2 transition of Barium 138 ions
Abstract
We present our efforts to drive the 5D5/2 to 6P1/2 transition of Barium-138 ions. Ytterbium is the only element in which a similarly forbidden transition has been observed: an electric octupole transition with a subhertz linewidth connects the ground state to a metastable state [1]. In Barium, the transition connects the metastable 5D5/2 state to the short-lived 6P1/2 state, so the natural linewidth is much broader. Measurements were performed on a single Doppler-cooled ion in a linear Paul trap. We drive the transition with a frequency stabilized external cavity diode laser of nominal wavelength 686nm, with accuracy better than 20MHz. Detection is facilitated by a laser at 1762nm which takes the ion from the ground state to the 5D5/2 level. To date, we have not found significant evidence of a driven transition, suggesting that it is too weak to be excited by laser intensities on the order of 10W/cm^2 over an integration times of 10s. [4pt] [1] M. Roberts et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 1876 (1997).
- Publication:
-
APS Northwest Section Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011APS..NWS.D1002J