A new type of radiofrequency trap can capture particles with extremely different requirements and could theoretically hold both types of particles at the same time. Researchers in the group of Professor Dmitry Budker from the PRISMA++ Cluster of Excellence and the Helmholtz Institute at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) were able to trap calcium ions or electrons in the same apparatus.

The team’s findings, published in Physical Review A, show the potential of this technology for synthesizing antihydrogen.

“Radiofrequency traps, also called Paul traps, have long been used by physicists to trap specific particles,” Dr. Hendrik Bekker explained. “However, they are usually limited to a single frequency.”