Continuous Beam Of Cold Atoms Research Articles

Hollow-conical atomic beam from a low-velocity intense source.

We demonstrate, for the first time, a hollow-conical atomic beam from a standard low-velocity intense source. Experimental results and numerical simulations indicate that the hollow-conical feature is caused by the converging-diverging extraction process. The degree of hollowness can be reduced by using a weaker push beam and extending the length of transverse cooling. Analytical models are proposed to quantitatively describe the hollowness of the atomic beam. This study can find applications where a compact and solid atomic beam is needed, such as coupling cold atoms into matter waveguides or continuous cold atomic beam interferometers.

A continuous cold atomic beam interferometer

We demonstrate an atom interferometer that uses a laser-cooled continuous beam of 87Rb atoms having velocities of 10–20 m/s. With spatially separated Raman beams to coherently manipulate the atomic wave packets, Mach–Zehnder interference fringes are observed at an interference distance of 2L = 19 mm. The apparatus operates within a small enclosed area of 0.07 mm2 at a bandwidth of 190 Hz with a deduced sensitivity of 7.8×10−5 rad/s/Hz for rotations. Using a low-velocity continuous atomic source in an atom interferometer enables high sampling rates and bandwidths without sacrificing sensitivity and compactness, which are important for applications in real dynamic environments.

Combined quantum-state preparation and laser cooling of a continuous beam of cold atoms

We use two-laser optical pumping on a continuous atomic fountain in order to prepare cold cesium atoms in the same quantum ground state. A first laser excites the $F=4$ ground state to pump the atoms toward $F=3$ while a second $\ensuremath{\pi}$-polarized laser excites the $F=3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{F}^{'}=3$ transition of the ${D}_{2}$ line to produce Zeeman pumping toward $m=0$. To avoid trap states, we implement the first laser in a two-dimensional optical lattice geometry, thereby creating polarization gradients. This configuration has the advantage of simultaneously producing Sisyphus cooling when the optical lattice laser is tuned between the $F=4\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{F}^{'}=4$ and $F=4\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{F}^{'}=5$ transitions of the ${D}_{2}$ line, which is important to remove the heat produced by optical pumping. Detuning the frequency of the second $\ensuremath{\pi}$-polarized laser reveals the action of a mechanism improving both laser cooling and state-preparation efficiency. A physical interpretation of this mechanism is discussed.

Evaporative Cooling of Atoms to Quantum Degeneracy in an Optical Dipole Trap

We discuss our experimental results on forced evaporative cooling of cold rubidium 87Rb atoms to quantum degeneracy in an Optical Dipole Trap. The atoms are first trapped and cooled in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) loaded from a continuous beam of cold atoms [1]. More than 1010 atoms are trapped in the MOT and then about 108 atoms are transferred to a Quasi-Electrostatic Trap (QUEST) formed by tightly focused CO2 laser (λ = 10.6μm) beams intersecting at their foci in an orthogonal configuration in the horizontal plane. Before loading the atoms into the dipole trap, the phase-space density of the atomic ensemble was increased making use of sub-doppler cooling at large detuning and the temporal dark MOT technique. In a MOT the phase-space density of the atomic ensemble is six orders of magnitude less than what is required to achieve quantum degeneracy. After transferring atoms into the dipole trap efficiently, phase-space density increases by a factor of 103. Further increase in phase-space density to quantum degeneracy is achieved by forced evaporative cooling of atoms in the dipole trap.The evaporative cooling process involves a gradual reduction of the trap depth by ramping down the trapping laser intensity over a second. The temperature of the cold atomic cloud was measured by time-of-flight (TOF) technique. The spatial distribution of the atoms is measured using absorption imaging. We report results of evaporative cooling in a single beam and in a crossed double-beam dipole traps. Due to the large initial phase space density, and large initial number of atoms trapped, the quantum phase transition occurs after about 600 ms of evaporative cooling in our optimized crossed dipole trap.

Laser collimation of a continuous beam of cold atoms using Zeeman-shift degenerate-Raman-sideband cooling

In this article we report on the use of degenerate-Raman-sideband cooling for the collimation of a continuous beam of cold cesium atoms in a fountain geometry. Thanks to this powerful cooling technique we have reduced the atomic beam transverse temperature from $60\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}1.6\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ in a few milliseconds. The longitudinal temperature of $80\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ is not modified. The flux density, measured after a parabolic flight of $0.57\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{s}$, has been increased by a factor of 4 to approximately ${10}^{7}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{at.}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and we have identified a Sisyphus-like precooling mechanism which should make it possible to increase this flux density by an order of magnitude.

Focus section on Cavity QED

Focus section on Cavity QED

A continuous cold atomic beam from a magneto-optical trap

We have developed and characterized a new method to produce a continuous beam of cold atoms from a standard vapour-cell magneto-optical trap (MOT). The experimental apparatus is very simple. Using a single laser beam it is possible to hollow out in the source MOT a direction of unbalanced radiation pressure along which cold atoms can be accelerated out of the trap. The transverse cooling process that takes place during the extraction reduces the beam divergence. The atomic beam is used to load a magneto-optical trap operating in an ultra-high vacuum environment. At a vapour pressure of 10-8mbar in the loading cell, we have produced a continuous flux of 7×107atoms/s at the recapture cell with a mean velocity of 14 m/s. A comparison of this method with a pulsed transfer scheme is presented.

Bright, slow, and continuous beam of laser-cooled cesium atoms

By the moving molasses technique we have extracted laser-cooled cesium atoms in a continuous way directly from an optical molasses. The mean launching velocity is precisely tunable from 1 to 12 m/s. The atomic beam has a flux of $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8} \mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ at 7 m/s and a longitudinal temperature of $70 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K},$ which represents the highest flux and lowest velocity spread obtained so far in a continuous beam of cold atoms. These features makes it well suited for atomic fountains. The atomic flux can be slightly increased in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap operation $(+40%).$ A simple model accounts for the observed dependence of the flux with the magnetic-field gradient.

Cooling of cesium atomic beam with light from spectrally broadened diode lasers

We have used spectrally broadened counterpropagating radiation from tunable diode lasers to cool an atomic beam of cesium. This produces a continuous beam of cold atoms. The injection current to the single-mode diode laser is modulated at 10 MHz, resulting in spectrally broadened light for atomic cooling and optical pumping. The atomic beam is probed with a weak single-mode laser. This is a simple and relatively inexpensive method for producing a continuous supply of cold atoms.