An optimized geometry for a micro Penning-trap mass spectrometer based on interconnected ions

Abstract

The Penning-trap mass spectrometers providing the highest sensitivity are based on electronic detection and amplification of the electric current a stored ion induces in the trap electrodes. This technique allows for very precise mass measurements using a single ion in the trap, but it has not been yet demonstrated with a singly-charged heavy ion. The work presented in this paper is aiming at building a novel Penning-trap system, where the electronic detection is substituted by the detection of fluorescence photons from a laser-cooled 40Ca+ (sensor) ion. This will allow extending the applicability of single-ion Penning trap mass spectrometry to any ion, regardless its mass or charge, which is a pre-requisite to perform precise mass measurements on heavy and super-heavy elements. The system, developed in the framework of the project TRAPSENSOR at the University of Granada, is comprised of two traps, one to store the probed ion and the other to store the sensor one. This paper reports on theoretical studies carried out to optimize the geometry of this double micro Penning-trap system, which has been built together with the electronics.