Trapped ions in the strong-excitation regime: Ion interferometry and nonclassical states

The interaction of a trapped ion with a laser beam in the strong-excitation regime is analyzed. In this regime, a variety of nonclassical states of motion can be prepared either by using laser pulses of well defined area, or by an adiabatic passage scheme based on the variation of the laser frequency. We show how these states can be used to investigate fundamental properties of quantum mechanics. We also study possible applications of this system to build an ion interferometer. © 1996 The American Physical Society.