https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2007-00153-2
Preparing a laser cooled plasma for stopping highly charged ions
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Department für Physik, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
Corresponding author: a michael.bussmann@physik.uni-muenchen.de
Received:
25
January
2007
Published online:
11
May
2007
We present a new cooling scheme for the preparation of highly charged ions for future in-trap precision experiments. A plasma of laser cooled 24Mg+ ions trapped in a 3D harmonic confinement potential is used as a stopping medium for the highly charged ions. We focus on the dynamic evolution of the plasma, determining suitable cooling conditions for fast recooling of the 24Mg+ ions. The results of a realistic parallel simulation of the complete stopping process presented here indicate that a small, constant detuning of the laser frequency is sufficient for subsequent recooling of the plasma, thus maintaining the stability of the plasma.
PACS: 02.70.Ns – Molecular dynamics and particle methods / 32.80.Pj – Optical cooling of atoms; trapping / 34.50.Bw – Energy loss and stopping power / 52.27.Gr – Strongly-coupled plasmas
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2007
