Scalable quantum logic spectroscopy

Abstract

In quantum logic spectroscopy (QLS), one species of trapped ion is used as a sensor to detect the state of an otherwise inaccessible ion species. This extends precision measurements to a broader class of atomic and molecular systems for applications like atomic clocks and tests of fundamental physics. Here, we develop a new technique based on a Schrödinger cat interferometer to address the problem of scaling QLS to larger ion numbers. We demonstrate the basic features of this method using various combinations of ${}^{25}{\text{Mg}}^{+}$ logic ions and ${}^{27}{\text{Al}}^{+}$ spectroscopy ions. We observe higher detection efficiency by increasing the number of ${}^{25}{\text{Mg}}^{+}$ ions. Applied to multiple ${}^{27}{\text{Al}}^{+}$, this method will improve the stability of high-accuracy optical clocks and could enable Heisenberg-limited QLS.

6 pages, 4 figures + supplemental material 8 pages, 4 figures

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