Ions stored in a radio-frequency Paul trap such as ours can be perturbed by stray electric fields that result from patches of charge on the trap electrodes. Making the trap function at its best thus requires these fields be measured and that a compensation field be applied which cancels out any stray fields. Here we use the ion itself to probe its local field environment.
Measured stray electric fields along the symmetry axis of the ion trap.
Measured stray electric fields perpendicular to the trap’s symmetry axis, parallel to the plane of the trap itself.
