Double-photoionization of a single ytterbium atom

This thesis describes the successful and controlled photo-ionization of a single ¹⁷⁴Yb⁺ ion to a doubly charged ¹⁷⁴Yb²⁺ ion. The photo-ionization has been realized in a fully-resonant three-step scheme with continuous-wave laser-light in the deep ultra-violet. This method makes the ¹⁷⁴Yb²⁺ ion-species available inside radio-frequency ion-traps for experiments on the efficient free-space light-matter interaction. The thesis covers the selection criteria for the intermediate steps in this photo-ionization process, an estimate for the efficiency of this process based on known parameters for the ¹⁷⁴Yb⁺ level system, the design and setup of the ion-trap system used in the experiments and a short introduction to several aspects of the theory of the interaction of a two-level system with external light-sources under efficient-coupling conditions. The method for the verification of the successful photoionization based on the analysis of the motional-dynamics of a trapped and crystallized mixed-species pair of ions of both ionization-stages is described and applied succesfully to the data obtained in the experiment.