Miniature Paul-Straubel ion trap with well-defined deep potential well.

In some recently proposed experiments using ion traps, a Paul trap of conventional size and design is insufficient. We have constructed a miniature Paul-Straubel trap. It has a small elliptic ring ( approximately 0.2 mm) and three pairs of planar electrodes ( approximately 2 cm part) arranged so that they form a cube. The two conventional end-cap electrodes are replaced by the six planar electrodes. The ring is heatable to a high temperature for improving the uniformity of the dc potential on the ring surface. With this trap, we hope to do such fundamental studies as the true zero-point confinement of a single ion.