Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Optical Detection Of Ultracold Neutral Calcium Plasmas, Elizabeth Ann Cummings

Theses and Dissertations

We demonstrate an optical method to detect calcium ions in an ultracold plasma. We probe the plasma with a 397 nm laser beam tuned to a calcium ion transition. The probe laser beam is focused to a 160 µm waist allowing fine spatial resolution. Ions are detected by measuring fluorescence using a Photo-Multiplier Tube (PMT). The signal, an average of 4000 acquisitions, has a temporal resolution of 120 ns. We present the details of this method, potential improvements, and prospects of imaging the expanding plasma ions. We also present preliminary work on spatially resolved absorption measurements, as well as additional …