A miniature Yb+ microwave ion trap 10 years after sealing

In order for an atomic frequency reference to become standardized the impact of aging on its performance must be characterized. We characterize a 3 c.c. buffer gas cooled Yb+ microwave ion trap that was sealed in 2012. The traps consist of a linear quadrupole radio frequency ion trap sealed in a titanium vacuum package backfilled with He. A non-evaporable getter provides passive pumping. Two sapphire viewports are used for coupling 369, 399, 760, and 935 nm laser light into the trap. A third sapphire viewport is used for imaging the trapped ion cloud and ion fluorescence detection.