Highly efficient, nearly deterministic, and isotope selective generation of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ions by one- and two-color photoionization is demonstrated. State preparation and state selective detection of hyperfine states in ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ is investigated in order to optimize the purity of the prepared state and to time-optimize the detection process. Linear laser-cooled ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ion crystals confined in a Paul trap are demonstrated. Advantageous features of different previous ion trap experiments are combined, while at the same time the number of possible error sources is reduced by using a comparatively simple experimental apparatus. This opens a new path toward quantum state manipulation of individual trapped ions, and in particular, to scalable quantum computing.

• Received 3 February 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.73.041407