Fei Wang

Motion-mediated trapped-ion interactions commonly coordinate state-dependent forces on both target ions. Sequential optical access reduces the number of concurrent target channels but makes the relative phase between disjoint force windows a control variable. We derive a complex near-resonant description in which each window generates a displacement vector and ordered symplectic products between vectors on different ions produce the ZZ phase. Only relative boundary phases affect this area; a common phase shift is a gauge transformation. Building on the experimental precedent for alternating single-ion addressing, we develop matched-envelope phase and contrast controls that isolate this boundary-phase dependence without target-window overlap or hidden force in the dark gaps. The analysis separates phase generation from differential closure, projector-common motion, deterministic local-Z phases, spectator coupling, and control-parameter transfer. A conditional-Ramsey sequence gives continuous and reset contrasts of 0.998 and 0.996, with a reset-induced phase separation of 0.581 rad modulo $π/2$. In the representative comparison, sequential control uses fewer concurrent target channels but greater normalized force action than independently calibrated simultaneous control. All results are model-level estimates within the stated Lamb-Dicke, rotating-wave, and apparatus-input limits.

Based on the Rb$^+$-Rb hybrid trap, we investigate the effect of ion-atom elastic collisions on the number and temperature of the remaining atoms. We measured the remaining atomic number and temperature as a function of the wavelength and intensity of the ionization laser, and whether the ion trap was turned on. Fittings with a single exponential decay function plus an offset to the number and radius of the remaining atoms are found to be in good agreement. We found a difference in the exponential factor of different wavelengths of ionization laser with the ion trap on or off. We suppose that the presence of electrons affects ion-atom collisions through disorder-induced heating. Our research contributes to a better understanding of how ultracold neutral plasma evolves, particularly the subsequent kinetics of atomic processes, which also serves as a useful reference for high-energy-density plasma.

Polyatomic cations $^{87}$Rb$_M^+$ ($M$ = 2, 3,$\ldots$) have been produced by cascade two-body ion-atom reactive collisions in the two-step CW-laser photoionization of laser-cooled $^{87}$Rb atoms and accumulated in the ion trap. Using resonant-excitation mass spectrometry and resonant excitation-assisted time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we directly observed and distinguished the charged reaction products. We experimentally verified the cascade generation and cascade dissociation of $^{87}$Rb$_M^+$. The populations of $^{87}$Rb$_M^+$ are quantitatively investigated by solving the rate equations. The $^{87}$Rb$^+$-$^{87}$Rb reaction rate coefficient was derived as 9.10$\times10^{-11}$ cm$^3$/s accordingly. The methods developed here for assembling and detecting homonuclear polyatomic cations can be applied to any experiment in ion-atom hybrid traps. The present study lays the foundation for exploring atomically precise metal clusters and physics from few- to many-body perspective.

In this work, the absorption spectrum of a two-level ion in a linear Paul trap is investigated, the ion is supposed to be driven by two orthogonal laser beams, the one along the axial of the trap acts as the control light beam, the other as probe beam. When the frequency of the control laser is tuned to the first red sideband of the ionic transition, the coupling between the internal states of the ion and vibrational mode turns out to be a Jaynes-Cummings (JC) Hamiltonian, which together with the coupling between the probe beam and the two-level ion constructs a Λ-type three-level structure. In this case the transparency window may appear in the absorption spectrum of the probe light, which is induced by the ionic vibration and is very similar to the cavity induced transparency [1996 Opt. Commun. 126 230-235]. On the other hand, when the frequency of the control laser is tuned to the first blue sideband of the ionic transition, the two-level ion and vibrational mode are governed by an anti-Jaynes-Cummings (anti-JC) Hamiltonian, the total system including the probe beam forms a V -type threelevel structure. And the Autler-Townes splitting in the absorption spectrum is found.