Ion Mix Effects in Rotating Linear Traps

Changing the mix of ions in multiple-species centrifugal traps can modify the self-consistent ambipolar electric fields. This makes it possible to arrange a number of counterintuitive effects.

As the fractional populations of ions shift, it is possible to make different populations more or less deeply trapped, or even to expel certain species entirely (including either higher- or lower-mass ions, depending on their charge states). This leads to several potentially useful configurations, including a novel endplug design [1].

[1] E. J. Kolmes, I. E. Ochs, and N. J. Fisch, "Ion Mix Can Invert Centrifugal Traps," arXiv:2504.18634 (2025).