Low-Current, Vertical Blowup in a Stored Laser-Cooled Ion Beam

N. Madsen; P. Bowe; J. S. Nielsen; L. E. Siegfried; J. S. Hangst

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.274801

Low-Current, Vertical Blowup in a Stored Laser-Cooled Ion Beam

N. Madsen, P. Bowe, J. S. Nielsen, L. E. Siegfried, and J. S. Hangst

Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 274801 – Published 10 December 2001

Abstract

Using a novel technique for real-time transverse beam profile diagnostics of a stored ion beam, we have observed the transverse size of a stored laser-cooled ion beam. Earlier we observed that the density of the beam is independent of the beam current. At very low currents, we observe an abrupt change in this behavior: The vertical beam size increases suddenly by about an order of magnitude. This observation implies a sudden change in the indirect vertical cooling mediated by intrabeam scattering. Our results have serious implications for the ultimate beam quality attainable by laser cooling.

Received 4 April 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.274801

Authors & Affiliations

N. Madsen¹, P. Bowe², J. S. Nielsen³, L. E. Siegfried², and J. S. Hangst²

¹CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
²Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
³ISA, University of Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark