Patent ID: 8704168

Claim:
An ion trap comprising: a conductive ring-shaped central electrode having a first aperture extending from a first open end to a second open end; a signal source generating a trap signal having at least an alternating current (AC) component between a first and second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the central electrode and the second terminal is coupled to a source reference voltage potential; a conductive first electrode end cap disposed adjacent to the first open end of the central electrode and coupled to a first reference voltage potential, wherein a first intrinsic capacitance is formed between a surface of the first electrode end cap and a surface of the first open end of the central electrode; and a conductive second electrode end cap disposed adjacent to the second open end of the central electrode and coupled to a second reference voltage potential with a first electrical circuit means for impressing a fractional part of the trap signal on the conductive second electrode end cap, wherein a second intrinsic capacitance is formed between a surface of the second electrode end cap and a surface of the second open end of the central electrode, and wherein the fractional part of the trap signal is impressed on the second electrode end cap as an excitation voltage in response to a voltage division of the trap signal by the second intrinsic capacitance and an impedance of the first electrical circuit means.