ADITA - Accumulation of ions in a linear radiofrequency trap

BACKGROUND

Transporting charged particles between different traps has become an important feature in high-precision spectroscopy experiments. A major issue during transport is the heating of the transferred atoms or molecules and the speed of the shuffling process. As a consequence, applied protocols use a cooling mechanism and/or a custom protocol to limit heating and reduce perturbation and loss of the sample. ADITA is an accumulation and a transfer technique for ions, that is faster than the state of the art and that does not require cooling.

HOW IT WORKS

A radio frequency quadrupole ion trap is separated into two parts by a central electrode. An ion cloud is constantly confined within the quadrupole ion trap. Both parts of the trap are asymmetrical, due to their geometry and/or the introduction of a contact potential in one of the two parts of the trap.

The cloud of confined ions detects a variation of electric field when the potential of the central electrode is changed, which causes it to move.

KEY BENEFITS vs. STATE OF THE ART

can be carried out under ultra-high vacuum conditions and in the absence of buffer-gas cooling, laser cooling or any other cooling mechanism.

DEVELOPMENT STATUS

pre-industrial prototype

APPLICATIONS

•Microwave  atomic clocks
•Mass spectroscopy for detecting traces or exotic ions