Zeeman slowers for strontium based on permanent magnets

Abstract

We present the design, construction, and characterization of longitudinal- and transverse-field Zeeman slowers, based on arrays of permanent magnets, for slowing thermal beams of atomic Sr. The slowers are optimized for operation with deceleration related to the local laser intensity (by the parameter ϵ), which uses more effectively the available laser power, in contrast to the usual constant deceleration mode. Slowing efficiencies of up to ≈18% are realized and compared to those predicted by modelling. We highlight the transverse-field slower, which is compact, highly tunable, light-weight, and requires no electrical power, as a simple solution to slowing Sr, well-suited to space-borne application. For 88Sr we achieve a slow-atom flux of around 6 × 109 atoms s−1 at 30 ms−1, loading approximately 5 × 108 atoms in to a magneto-optical-trap, and capture all isotopes in approximate relative natural abundances.