Measurement of the charge-to-mass ratio of particles trapped by the Paul trap for education

Abstract Paul traps are devices that confine particles using an alternating electric field and have been used in undergraduate experimental classes at universities. Owing to the requirement of a high voltage ( > 10 3 V), Paul traps are not used in middle and high schools. Therefore, we developed an all-in-one-type Paul trap, including a high-voltage transformer. The Paul trap can be equipped with two different types of electrode attachments, ring-type and linear-type, and the trap image can be observed using a built-in web camera. For example, the charge-to-mass ratio of particles was measured with different types of attachments, and reasonable values were obtained. These types of trap devices are currently used at several educational facilities in Japan.