A single-beam slower and magneto-optical trap using a nanofabricated grating

Published

June 11, 2019

Author(s)

Daniel S. Barker, Eric B. Norrgard, Nikolai N. Klimov, James A. Fedchak, Julia K. Scherschligt, Stephen P. Eckel

Abstract

We demonstrate a compact (0.25 L) system for laser cooling and trapping atoms from a heated dispenser source. Our system uses a nano-fabricated diffraction grating to generate a magneto- optical trap (MOT) using a single input laser beam. An aperture in the grating allows atoms from the dispenser to be loaded from behind the chip, increasing the interaction distance of atoms with the cooling light. To take full advantage of this increased distance, we extend the magnetic field gradient of the MOT to create a Zeeman slower. The MOT traps approximately 10^6 lithium-7 atoms loaded from an effusive source at rates in excess of 10^6/s. Our design is portable to a variety of atomic and molecular species and can be an integral component for miniaturized cold-atom technologies.

Citation

Physical Review Applied

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

laser cooling, magneto-optical trap, zeeman slower, cold core technology, cold atom vacuum standard

Citation

Barker, D. , Norrgard, E. , Klimov, N. , Fedchak, J. , Scherschligt, J. and Eckel, S. (2019), A single-beam slower and magneto-optical trap using a nanofabricated grating, Physical Review Applied (Accessed April 23, 2024)