A metastable state in ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ with lifetime greater than 10 minutes

Abstract

We find through direct, time-domain measurement of trapped ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ions that the excited ${}^3[11/2{]}_{9/2}^o$ state has a collision-free lifetime of 17.8(6) min, long enough for use in atomic clockwork or quantum information processing. We locate and benchmark a broad ``repump'' transition at $701\mathrm{nm}$ that readily transfers population back into the Doppler cooling cycle with the ground state, which may allow for quantum nondemolition measurement of sub-structure in the metastable manifold. Using a bi-stable Coulomb-crystal manometer, we find that the collisional quenching of this metastable ${}^3[11/2{]}_{9/2}^o$ manifold by background gas is more efficient than for ${}^2{\mathrm{F}}_{7/2}^o$, but nonetheless we observe an average lifetime exceeding 10 minutes at the base pressure of our apparatus.

4 pages, 4 figures