THE LINEWIDTH AND HYPERFINE A CONSTANT OF THE 2Pi STATE OF A MAGNESIUM ION CONFINED IN A LINEAR PAUL TRAP By JASON NGUYEN, B. Sc. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy McMaster University ©Copyright by Jason Nguyen, 2009. 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Canada SPECTROSCOPY OF A MAGNESIUM ION CONFINED IN AN RF TRAP DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2009) McMaster University (Physics & Astronomy) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: The Linewidth and Hyperfine a Constant of the Pi State of a Mag- 2 nesium Ion Confined in a Linear Paul Trap AUTHOR: Jason Nguyen, B. Sc. (University of Guelph) SUPERVISOR: Dr. Brian King NUMBER OF PAGES: xxii, 357 ii Abstract We present and discuss results from a measurement of the hyperfine a constant of the ls22s22p63p 2 Pi excited state in 25Mg+ and the linewidth of the same 2 state in 24Mg+. We trapped a single ion in a linear Paul trap and laser- cooled it using the 25i —» 2Pa transition (in the case of 25Mg+) and the 2 2 25i —• 2Pi transition (in the case of 24Mg+). We optically pumped the 2 2 ion into the (F = 3, mp = ±3) ground states and weakly probed it with a tunable fibre laser that was scanned to drive the ion from the ground state to the F' = 3 and F' = 2 manifolds of the 2Pi state. The final state of the 2 ion was determined by counting fluorescence (or the reduction therein) from 2 2 the Si(F = 3,mF = ±3) -»• Ps{F" = A,m"F = ±4) cycling transition with 2 2 a photomultiplier module. We determined that the hyperfine a constant is 102.16 ± 0.16 MHz and the natural linewidth is 42.4 ± 1.2 MHz. iii Acknowledgements I have had the questionable fortune of taking a meandering path in my educa- tional journey. It is a questionable fortune in that there are some who would argue that the shortest distance between two points is the most economical (emotionally, and financially). I, on the other hand, have enjoyed the scenic route. Along my journey, I've met some amazing people who have helped to shape my development and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them. For those reading the acknowledgements to search for their name, I will place things in chronological order. Inevitably, I will miss some names, and for those people I apologize in advance. From the beginning, my parents have continued to be an unwavering pillar of support - despite what I put them through. My father instilled within me a strong sense of honesty and willingness to work hard for the things you want. My mother taught me the importance of risk, and nurtured within me the instinct to try the things I think I cannot do. With adult eyes, I have been able to look back on the successes they have achieved and realized that without them as my base, I could not have taken advantage of the opportunities life has presented me. Upon arriving in Canada, we were welcomed by the Mundels. Grossmama, Grosspapa, Aunt Mutti and their entire family made us feel at home. I will iv V never be able to thank them enough for their support. Growing up, a few teachers in particular stick out in my mind: Mr. Peters, Mr. Luongo, Mrs. Carlson, Mr. Hill, and Mr. Holobuff - you have all contributed, in often colorful ways. Although I have lived in various different cities while growing up, I consider Langley as my "home" (yes Mike, I will admit that) since I spent the majority of my youth there. I am glad to have shared that time with friends who made it bearable. Andrea D., you still (and hopefully always will) hold the title of longest-term-friend. You are always in my thoughts - and I am not just saying that because you have the most embarassing photos of me. Lisa, no matter how much time passes between our visits, it still feels just like back in the day, doesn't it? Katherine, no matter what I say about you, I know you will find some way to make it sound like a backhanded compliment - and that is why I love you. Mike, you're just awesome. I also have to mention my other Langley friends who still provide me with an ear to this day: Seb, Leslie, Jenni, Andrea J., Ilona, Mel, Mark, Brad, Laura and so many others. My time at the University of Guelph marked my first venture out of the nest. I would like to thank Viet, Vien and their entire family for providing me with a home away from home. My time at Guelph was... interesting. Rob, Sarah, Becky and Laura - you helped me survive Guelph. I'd like to give a special thanks to Dr. Brooks, who I feel was the first person to properly vi introduce me to the world of atomic physics. His teaching style and his invest- ment in his students will always remain a highlight when I think back to my time spent at the University of Guelph. I also owe him a debt of gratitude for pointing me in the direction of McMaster University. I could write an entire thesis about the things I've learned from being a graduate student. I'd like to begin by thanking the entire Physics and Astron- omy department. From a graduate student's perspective, I've appreciated the accessibility of the staff and faculty in the department. The experimental results and work I did in the lab would not have been possible without the help of many people. In particular, I'd like to thank the summer students who worked with us: Peter Klages, Swati Singh, John Oreopoulos, Jesse Gare, Agnes Skalski, Sarah Dyck, Daniel Goguen, James Kennedy, Ben Jackel, Katie Woods, Mike Collicutt, Nick Chisholm, Martin Horbanski, Vickram Lakhian, and Christian Karras. A special thanks also goes out to the following people who contributed advice, equipment, and time: Wayne Itano, Jim Bergquist, Henry Tiedje, Andy Duft, Rob Hughes, and Andy Duncan. I consider myself lucky to have had Harold Haugen and Kari Dalnoki- Veress serve on my committee - thank you both for your advice and support throughout grad school. Of course, my graduate life would not have been bearable without the vii friends who helped me let off steam: Micah, Jordan, Randy, Grade, Bruin, Aiden, Insyx, MB, Max and the whole gang. A special thanks to my good friend Greg - things just aren't the same without you around. Erik, I could not have asked for a better friend. Sharing a space for as long as we have, we were bound to get into scuffles but, throughout it all, I've always known that I could count on your support when I needed it. Thank you Jiajia and Laura for joining the group. Jiajia, you're one of the smartest people I know - but you've never made me feel intimidated by that. Laura, you are a riot. What always sticks out in my mind when I think of you is how you would dim the lights in the lab and declare to both me and Jiajia, "It's time to get romantic". I think I really lucked out in the co-worker/co-conspirator department with the two of you. Finally, I want to express my gratitude and respect for my advisor, Brian King. Once, when we were at a talk you turned to me and whispered, "Now there is someone who lined up for seconds in the brains department". Af- terwards, I told Jiajia and Laura and of course we all laughed because we're convinced you went for atleast thirds, or fourths. Not only are you one of the brightest people I've had the pleasure of knowing, you are also one of the most compassionate and understanding.