A trapped-ion phonon laser and the detection of ultra-weak forces

This dissertation reports on the demonstration of a mechanical analogue to anoptical laser, a "phonon laser," using a single trapped ion. Furthermore, we showthat the dynamics of this system are surprisingly sensitive to external fields; wedemonstrate phase synchronization ("injection locking") to an external signal byapplying forces as weak as 5 yN (yocto=10 24). This enormous sensitivity mightallow the detection of the nuclear spin of a single atom or molecule.