Combined experimental and theoretical probe of the lifetime of the3d2D5/2state in40Ca+

Abstract

In light of the diverse range of reported values for the lifetimes of metastable states of Ca-40(+), we have carried out afresh both measurements and theoretical investigation to confirm the lifetime of its 3d D-2(5/2) state (tau(3d5/2)). A high-efficiency quantum state detection method by monitoring the quantum jumps of a laser-cooled single Ca+ ion in a miniature ring Paul trap was employed in the measurement. Also, sophisticated calculations were performed considering higher order nonlinear terms in the relativistic coupled-cluster (RCC) method with all possible single and double excitations, but accounting only for the important triple excitations from both the core and the valence orbitals. Systematic factors affecting measurement, such as collision with background gases, heating effects, the power of the 866-nm laser, and state detection errors were carefully analyzed. Our observational and theoretical values for tau(3d5/2) are 1174(10) ms and 1172(3) ms, respectively, which agree well with the experimental results reported by P. A. Barton et al. [Phys. Rev. A 62, 032503 (2000)] and A. Kreuter et al. [Phys. Rev. A 71, 032504 (2005)]. The present theoretical analysis demonstrates that the contributions from the core triples and Breit interaction are notable, as they improve the theoretical results obtained in the previous RCC calculations [B. K. Sahoo, Phys. Rev. A 74, 062504 (2006)].