Spin Dephasing as a Probe of Mode Temperature, Motional State Distributions, and Heating Rates in a 2D Ion Crystal

Brian C. Sawyer, Joseph W. Britton, John J. Bollinger

We employ spin-dependent optical dipole forces to characterize the transverse center-of-mass (COM) motional mode of a two-dimensional Wigner crystal of hundreds of ${}^9$Be${}^{+}$. By c…