Quantum measurements of trapped ions

Abstract

When a quantum state is subjected to a measurement and the state is not an eigenstate of the dynamical variable being measured, the outcome is unpredictable. Only the probabilities of the various possible outcomes are predicted by theory. This phenomenon is sometimes discussed in terms of “wavefunction collapse.” Trapped ions can be used for real, as opposed to gedanken demonstrations of this basic process. In the experiments described here, a single ion, or a few identical ions, were prepared in well defined superpositions of two internal energy eigenstates. The populations of the energy levels were then measured. When the state amplitudes were equal, the population fluctuations were greater than when one of the amplitudes was nearly zero, in agreement with the predictions of quantum mechanics. In other experiments, such as those with atomic beams, the number of atoms under observation fluctuates, and this obscures the fluctuations from other sources. However, if the number of atoms is small and constant, the fundamental quantum mechanical fluctuations can be observed.