High-Resolution Spectroscopy of Yb173+ Ions
Abstract
Compared to other stable isotopes of Yb+, Yb+173 has a richer hyperfine structure, which leads to more favorable clock transitions, spectroscopic techniques for probing new physics, and more sophisticated quantum computing architectures. However, to date, its electronic spectrum remains poorly characterized. Here, we report on efficient laser cooling, state preparation, and detection of a single trapped Yb173+ ion. The previously unobserved S21/2→D23/2 electric quadrupole transition at 436 nm is coherently excited, and the isotope shift between Yb171+ on this transition is determined with an uncertainty of 1.4 Hz. Using microwave spectroscopy, we resolve the hyperfine structure (HFS) of the D23/2 state with a relative uncertainty below 10-8. From the HFS measurement data, we infer for Yb173 a nuclear magnetic octupole moment Ω=-0.062(8)(b×μN) with uncertainty reduced by more than 2 orders of magnitude compared to previous studies. The data also allow us to determine hyperfine anomalies for the S21/2 and D23/2 states.
Details
- External Organisation(s)
-
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB
Technische Universität Braunschweig
University of Delaware
Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology Braunschweig (LENA)
- Type
- Article
- Journal
- Physical review letters
- Volume
- 136
- ISSN
- 0031-9007
- Publication date
- 16.01.2026
- Publication status
- Published
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy
- Electronic version(s)
-
https://doi.org/10.1103/rcdh-s4d7 (Access:
Open
)
