Computer Simulations

Frequency Standards Laboratory

Very cold ions in small numbers form a crystalline structure with defects in a linear trap.

Supercomputer simulations show that cooling depends on laser wavelength and direction, and that the trapped ions pass through gaseous, liquid and crystalline phases during cooling.

Small end pins to confine the ions give rise to a flared pattern

End view of seven-fold crystal pattern

Hollow crystal structures of ions result for certain densities. Calculations were done for up to 512 ions, and show that cooling was possible even though the ions had a high temperature and so were rapidly moving at the beginning of the cooling process.

The Cray Supercomputer used in this investigation was provided by funding from the NASA Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Aeronautics, and Space Science.

For More Information JPL Quantum Sciences and Technology Group