Publications Details

${\mathrm{YbH}}^{+}$ formation in an ytterbium ion trap

Schwindt, Peter S.; Hoang, Thai M.; Overstreet, Richard; Jau, Yuan-Yu J.

The trapped ¹⁷¹Yb⁺ ion is a promising candidate for portable atomic clock applications. However, with buffer-gas cooled ytterbium ions, the ions can be pumped into a low-lying ²F_{7 / 2} state or form YbH⁺ molecules. These dark states reduce the fluorescence signal from the ions and can degrade the clock stability. In this work, we study the dynamics of the populations of the ²F_{7 / 2} state and YbH⁺ molecules under different operating conditions of our 171 Yb⁺ ion system. Our study indicates that ²F_{7 / 2}-state ions can form YbH⁺ molecules through interactions with hydrogen gas. As observed previously, dissociation of YbH⁺ is observed at wavelengths around 369 nm. We also demonstrate YbH+ dissociation using 405 nm light. Moreover, we show that the population in the dark states can be limited by using a single repump laser at 935 nm. Our study provides insights into the molecular formation in a trapped ion system.