VIBRATIONAL-SIDE-BAND EXCITATION-SPECTRA OF A SINGLE TRAPPED ION

Laser-induced excitation and deexcitation of a strongly bound, cold tr apped ion on the vibrational sidebands is analyzed, assuming the detec tion of quantized fluorescence. The laser couples to oscillations in o ne, two or three spatial directions. Sideband absorption is found to p roduce non-classical states of the oscillator which affect the ensuing emission. Sideband strengths and excitation spectra are calculated fo r a number of limiting cases. Repeated null fluorescence observation l eads to cooling of the ion and possibly to vibrational Fock states.