Search for: All records

We report spectroscopic and time-resolved experimental observations to characterize the $\left[\mathrm{Xe}\right]4f^{13}\left({}^{2}F_{5/2}^o\right)5d6s\left({}^{1}D\right){}^1{[5/2]}_{5/2}^o$state in ${}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ ions. We access this state from the metastable $4f^{14}5d\left({}^{2}D_{3/2,5/2}\right)$manifold and observe an unexpectedly long lifetime of $\tau =37.9\left(9\right)\mu \mathrm{s}$ that allows visible Rabi oscillations and resolved-sideband spectroscopy. Using a combination of coherent population dynamics, high-fidelity detection and heralded state preparation, and optical pumping methods, we measure the branching ratios to the ${}^{2}D_{3/2}, {}^{2}D_{5/2}$, and ${}^{2}S_{1/2}$states to be $0.359\left(2\right)$, 0.639(2), and $0.0023\left(16\right)$, respectively. The branching ratio to the $4f^{13}6s^2\left({{}^{2}F}_{7/2}\right)$is compatible with zero within our experimental resolution. We also report measurements of Landé $g$-factor of the ${}^1{[5/2]}_{5/2}^o$state. Further, the branching ratio of the ${}^{2}D_{5/2}$to ${}^{2}S_{1/2}$decay in ${}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ was measured to be 0.188(3), improving its relative uncertainty by an order of magnitude. Our measurements provide experimental benchmarks for better understanding the atomic structure of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ions, which still lacks accurate numerical descriptions, and the use of high-lying excited states for partial detection and qubit manipulation in the architecture.