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Main Authors: Chen, Shaolong, Zhou, Zhiqiang, Zhang, Guosheng, Xiao, Jun, Huang, Yao, Gao, Kelin, Guan, Hua
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.19182
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author Chen, Shaolong
Zhou, Zhiqiang
Zhang, Guosheng
Xiao, Jun
Huang, Yao
Gao, Kelin
Guan, Hua
author_facet Chen, Shaolong
Zhou, Zhiqiang
Zhang, Guosheng
Xiao, Jun
Huang, Yao
Gao, Kelin
Guan, Hua
contents Optical clocks have garnered widespread attention due to their unparalleled precision in time-frequency standards, geodetic measurements, and fundamental physics research. Among emerging developments, highly charged ion (HCI)-based optical clocks have attracted significant scientific interest owing to their exceptional resilience against electromagnetic perturbations and enhanced sensitivity to variations in the fine-structure constant ($α$). While the recent successful demonstration of an Ar$^{13+}$ optical clock has validated the feasibility of HCI-based systems, Ni$^{12+}$ -- featuring an ultranarrow clock transition linewidth -- stands out as a superior candidate for achieving HCI optical clocks with $10^{-19}$ level uncertainty and stability. In this work, we report the Coulomb crystallization of nickel highly charged ions (Ni-HCIs). Through a precision deceleration and sympathetic cooling protocol in a room-temperature Paul trap, high-energy Ni-HCI bunches were sympathetically cooled from megakelvin to the 100-millikelvin range using laser-cooled Be$^{+}$ ions. This work represents a pivotal step toward the realization of an optical clock based on the Ni$^{12+}$ ion.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_19182
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Coulomb Crystallization of Highly Charged Ni^12+ Ions in a Linear Paul Trap
Chen, Shaolong
Zhou, Zhiqiang
Zhang, Guosheng
Xiao, Jun
Huang, Yao
Gao, Kelin
Guan, Hua
Atomic Physics
Optical clocks have garnered widespread attention due to their unparalleled precision in time-frequency standards, geodetic measurements, and fundamental physics research. Among emerging developments, highly charged ion (HCI)-based optical clocks have attracted significant scientific interest owing to their exceptional resilience against electromagnetic perturbations and enhanced sensitivity to variations in the fine-structure constant ($α$). While the recent successful demonstration of an Ar$^{13+}$ optical clock has validated the feasibility of HCI-based systems, Ni$^{12+}$ -- featuring an ultranarrow clock transition linewidth -- stands out as a superior candidate for achieving HCI optical clocks with $10^{-19}$ level uncertainty and stability. In this work, we report the Coulomb crystallization of nickel highly charged ions (Ni-HCIs). Through a precision deceleration and sympathetic cooling protocol in a room-temperature Paul trap, high-energy Ni-HCI bunches were sympathetically cooled from megakelvin to the 100-millikelvin range using laser-cooled Be$^{+}$ ions. This work represents a pivotal step toward the realization of an optical clock based on the Ni$^{12+}$ ion.
title Coulomb Crystallization of Highly Charged Ni^12+ Ions in a Linear Paul Trap
topic Atomic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.19182