  We consider one source of decoherence for a single trapped ion due to
intensity and phase fluctuations in the exciting laser pulses. For simplicity
we assume that the stochastic processes involved are white noise processes,
which enables us to give a simple master equation description of this source of
decoherence. This master equation is averaged over the noise, and is sufficient
to describe the results of experiments that probe the oscillations in the
electronic populations as energy is exchanged between the internal and
electronic motion. Our results are in good qualitative agreement with recent
experiments and predict that the decoherence rate will depend on vibrational
quantum number in different ways depending on which vibrational excitation
sideband is used.
