A scheme for the individual addressing of ions in a trap is described that does not rely on light beams tightly focused onto only one ion. The scheme utilizes ion micromotion that may be induced in a linear trap by dc offset potentials. Thus coupling an individual ion to the globally applied light fields corresponds to a mere switching of voltages on a suitable set of compensation electrodes. The proposed scheme is especially suitable for miniaturized rf (Paul) traps with typical dimensions of about $20-40\hspace{0.5em}\mu \mathrm{m}.$

• Received 22 February 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.60.R3335