We amplify the coupling between electric field perturbations and the spin states by using a static magnetic field gradient. Displacements of the trapped ion resulting from the forces experienced by an applied external electric field perturbation are thereby mapped to an instantaneous change in the energy level splitting of the internal spin states. We demonstrate unprecedented electric field sensitivities for the measurement of both DC signals and AC signals across a frequency range of sub-Hz to ∼ 500 kHz. Finally, we describe a set of hardware modifications that are capable of achieving a further improvement in sensitivity by up to six orders of magnitude.
The paper was published on 11 June 2025 in Nature Physics.
Manuscript: Ultrasensitive Single-ion Electrometry in a Magnetic Field Gradient.
A popular science summary is available here:
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme (at 1:21).
University of Sussex Press release
