Figure 1: Experimental bang–bang sequences.
From: Generation of large coherent states by bang–bang control of a trapped-ion oscillator
(a) The ion is first cooled close to the ground state of motion in a harmonic trapping potential centred at x=0, and the internal electronic state is pumped to the ground-state |↓〉. At t=0 the potential center is suddenly displaced to xd and the ion’s motional state is the coherent state |−α0〉. (b) Evolution of the motional wave function in the position-momentum phase-space. After a time Δt in the displaced potential, the trap centre is switched back to x=0, leaving the ion in a coherent state of size given by equation (1). (c) Sequence of laser pulses and potential displacements for monitoring the time evolution of coherent states. (d) Sequence for studying the light-matter interaction with highly excited states. In this sequence, Δt is an integer number j of multiples of the oscillator period.
