We investigate the feasible limits for realizing a continuously evaporated atom laser with high-temperature sources. A plausible scheme for realizing a truly continuous atom laser is to outcouple atoms from a partially condensed Bose gas while continuously reloading the system with noncondensed thermal atoms and performing evaporative cooling. Here we use quantum kinetic theory to model this system and estimate feasible limits for the operation of such a scheme. For sufficiently high temperatures, the figure of merit for the source is shown to be the phase-space flux. The dominant process limiting the usage of sources with low phase-space flux is the three-body loss of the condensed gas. We conclude that certain double-magneto-optical trap sources may produce substantial mean condensate numbers through continuous evaporation and provide an atom laser source with a narrow linewidth and reasonable flux.
We investigate the feasible limits for realizing a continuously evaporated atom laser with high-temperature sources. A plausible scheme for realizing a truly continuous atom laser is to outcouple atoms from a partially condensed Bose gas while continuously reloading the system with noncondensed thermal atoms and performing evaporative cooling. Here we use quantum kinetic theory to model this system and estimate feasible limits for the operation of such a scheme. For sufficiently high temperatures, the figure of merit for the source is shown to be the phase-space flux. The dominant process limiting the usage of sources with low phase-space flux is the three-body loss of the condensed gas. We conclude that certain double-magneto-optical trap sources may produce substantial mean condensate numbers through continuous evaporation and provide an atom laser source with a narrow linewidth and reasonable flux.
Summary form only given.Laser cooling, where excess kinetic energy is extracted by a photon, is ideally suited to loading atoms into a trap; however, quantization and reabsorption of light, limit the maximum phase-space density attainable. A sequence of laser cooling followed by evaporative cooling, where the excess energy is extracted by escaping atoms, may be used to overcome the laser cooling limit; however, such a scheme dramatically reduces the number of trapped atoms. A remaining challenge is to achieve continuous loading without the phase-space density limit imposed by near-resonant light. We consider continuous evaporative loading of a magnetic trap using a magnetically insensitive buffer gas. The key is to deliver sufficient cold atoms to the trapping region such that the steady-state trap population is large. To achieve this we employ an atomic fountain guided by a far-off resonant laser beam. At the apex of the fountain, the density can be a factor of 30-40 higher than in a magneto-optical trapping region, and importantly, the atoms are spatially separated from the region of resonant laser light. We propose to use this high-density region as a reservoir for continuous evaporative loading of a trap.
A continuous-wave atom laser formed by the outcoupling of atoms from a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) potentially has a range of metrological applications. However, in order for the device to be truly continuous, a mechanism to replenish the atoms in the BEC is required. Here we calculate the temporal coherence properties of a continuously pumped atom laser beam outcoupled from a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate that is replenished from a reservoir at finite temperature. We find that the thermal fluctuations of the condensate can significantly decrease the temporal coherence of the output beam due to atomic interactions between the trapped BEC and the beam, and this can impact the metrological usefulness of the device. We demonstrate that a Raman outcoupling scheme imparting a sufficient momentum kick to the atom laser beam can lead to a significantly reduced linewidth.
We investigate the coherence properties of an atomic beam evaporatively cooled in a magnetic guide, assuming thermal equilibrium in the quantum degenerate regime. The gas experiences two-dimensional, transverse Bose-Einstein condensation rather than a full three-dimensional condensation because of the very elongated geometry of the magnetic guide. First order and second order correlation functions of the atomic field are used to characterize the coherence properties of the gas along the axis of the guide. The coherence length of the gas is found to be much larger than the thermal de Broglie wavelength in the strongly quantum degenerate regime. Large intensity fluctuations present in the ideal Bose gas model are found to be strongly reduced by repulsive atomic interactions; this conclusion is obtained with a one-dimensional classical field approximation valid when the temperature of the gas is much higher than its chemical potential, kBT ≫ |µ|. Pacs: 03.75.Fi, 42.50.-p The first experimental achievements of Bose-Einstein condensates in atomic vapors [1, 2, 3, 4] have opened promising perspectives for atom optics: condensates constitute indeed atomic waves sources of much better coherence properties than the usual ‘thermal ’ sources like the standard magneto-optical trap. These
In the last decades, experimental access to the quantum regime has been gained in a large variety of systems, including dilute ultracold gases, trapped ions, micromechanical oscillators, superconducting circuits, and many more.These systems allow for such exciting applications as quantum computing and communication, quantum metrology and quantum simulation.A physical system's quantum mechanical features can only be revealed by cooling it until the thermal excitations are negligible.To date, the coldest temperatures are reached with ultracold gases by a combination of laser cooling and evaporation, inherently producing individual ensembles.However, many applications can greatly benefit from a continuous source of ultracold atoms, for example sympathetic cooling of molecules or nanoscopic objects.Ideally, this cooling source operates without light, as most molecules have a rich internal structure and can absorb photons of many wavelengths.Another promising application of continuous sources of ultracold matter is atom interferometry.Such interferometers perform measurements of inertial forces, time and gravity.Currently, each cold sample is destroyed by its evaluation and the measurement is interrupted by the preparation of a new samples.Continuous sources can help to eliminate this restriction.So far, no dark and continuous sources exist in the microkelvin regime.This thesis presents the first preparation of such an ultracold atom cloud which is continuously replenished and protected from light.The continuously refilled reservoir is prepared by loading a magnetically guided atom beam into an elongated magnetic trapping potential.This static potential has an entrance barrier which allows atoms from a guided beam to enter the trap.Once in the trap, the atoms undergo collisions and redistribute their kinetic energy.Those gaining energy can escape again, but those losing energy are trapped.A steady state with 3.8 × 10 7 atoms atoms at a temperature of 102 µK is reached and maintained.The setup of the continuous loading scheme is described in this thesis.A key component is a mesoscopic atom chip which produces all magnetic fields for the continuous loading scheme.The initial atom source is a high-flux double magneto-optical trap system.An atomic beam is created out of the precooled atoms and guided to the static trap through a stray light protection allowing for a dark retrapping region.The cooling scheme does not rely on any specific atomic properties of the atoms and can thus be applied to a wide range of particles.The results offer exciting perspectives for an application as a continuous source of ultracold atoms, either as a coolant for sympathetic cooling or as a resource for metrology.
Measurement is our fundamental tool for learning about the world around us. It is from observing trends in measurements that we develop the theories that enable us to predict future behaviour, and it is against measurements that we determine the validity of these theories. Increases in the precision of our measurements are fundamental to our understanding. Atom interferometry is a new method for performing precision measurements that uses the matter-wave nature of atoms to perform interferometry experiments analogous to those performed with photons. However, in contrast to optical interferometry, which uses coherent sources of photons, atom interferometry uses thermal atomic sources, in part due to the unavailability of high-flux coherent atomic sources. Although pulsed coherent atomic sources are presently available, continuous sources are not. Creating a truly continuous coherent source for atoms is tricker than for photons. One of the largest challenges is that atom number is conserved. A source of atoms is therefore necessary to produce a truly continuous atom laser. This source must be used to replenish the lasing mode of the atom laser, and the process must operate without significantly disturbing the coherence properties of the lasing mode. It is this replenishment or pumping process that has been investigated theoretically in this thesis. There are only two choices for the reservoir that makes the replenishment (or pumping) process of an atom laser irreversible: the empty modes of the optical field, and the empty modes of the atomic field. Processes of both forms are considered. Using an optical reservoir has the advantage that atoms are not necessarily lost as part of the pumping process, which is necessary when using an atomic reservoir. The efficiency of processes using an optical reservoir can therefore be higher. Using an atomic reservoir, however, has the advantage that it is easier to implement as one can use the standard experimental technique of evaporation which is commonly used in the production of pulsed coherent atomic sources. We show theoretically in this thesis that although it is possible to produce a continuous atom laser using an atomic reservoir, the flux achieved in the geometry considered is insufficient to compete with pulsed coherent atomic sources for precision measurement. The results for the pumping process using an optical reservoir are more promising. Although condensed sources were used as the source for this process, a detailed comparison of the theoretical calculations and experimental results indicate that the detrimental reabsorption processes are suppressed. This suggests that it may be possible to use higher-flux thermal atomic sources to replenish the lasing mode of an atom laser with this pumping process.
A new type of optical cw atom laser design is proposed that should operate at high intensity and high coherence and possibly record low temperatures. It is based on an "optical-shepherd" technique, in which far-off-resonance blue-detuned swept sheet laser beams are used to make new types of high-density traps, atom waveguides, and other components for achieving very efficient Bose-Einstein condensation and cw atom laser operation. A shepherd-enhanced trap is proposed that should be superior to conventional magneto-optic traps for the initial collection of molasses-cooled atoms. A type of dark-spot optical trap is devised that can cool large numbers of atoms to polarization-gradient temperatures at densities limited only by three-body collisional loss. A scheme is designed to use shepherd beams to capture and recycle essentially all of the escaped atoms in evaporative cooling, thereby increasing the condensate output by several orders of magnitude. Condensate atoms are stored in a shepherd trap, protected from absorbing light, under effectively zero-gravity conditions, and coupled out directly into an optical waveguide. Many experiments and devices may be possible with this cw atom laser.