A room-temperature ion trapping apparatus with hydrogen partial pressure below 10-11 mbar

Rev Sci Instrum. 2019 Aug;90(8):083201. doi: 10.1063/1.5104346.

Abstract

The lifetime of trapped ion ensembles corresponds to a crucial parameter determining the potential scalability of their prospective applications and is often limited by the achievable vacuum level in the apparatus. We report on the realization of a room-temperature 40Ca+ ion trapping vacuum apparatus with unprecedentedly low reaction rates of ions with a dominant vacuum contaminant: hydrogen. We present our trap assembly procedures and hydrogen pressure characterization by analysis of the CaH+ molecule formation rate.