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arXiv:1405.3148 · Review of Scientific Instruments

Contributed Review: The feasibility of a fully miniaturized magneto-optical trap for portable ultracold quantum technology

J. A. Rushton, M. Aldous, Matthew Himsworth

Published Dec 1, 2014• 124 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Experiments using laser cooled atoms and ions show real promise for practical applications in quantum-enhanced metrology, timing, navigation, and sensing as well as exotic roles in quantum computing, networking, and simulation. The heart of many of these experiments has been translated to microfabricated platforms known as atom chips whose construction readily lend themselves to integration with larger systems and future mass production. To truly make the jump from laboratory demonstrations to practical, rugged devices, the complex surrounding infrastructure (including vacuum systems, optics, and lasers) also needs to be miniaturized and integrated. In this paper we explore the feasibility of applying this approach to the Magneto-Optical Trap; incorporating the vacuum system, atom source and optical geometry into a permanently sealed micro-litre system capable of maintaining 10(-10) mbar for more than 1000 days of operation with passive pumping alone. We demonstrate such an engineering challenge is achievable using recent advances in semiconductor microfabrication techniques and materials.

DOI
10.1063/1.4904066

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Chip-scale atomic devices built around micro-fabricated alkali vapor cells are at the forefront of compact metrology and atomic sensors. We demonstrate a micro-fabricated vapor cell that is actively pumped to ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) to achieve laser cooling. A grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) is incorporated with a 4 mm-thick Si/glass vacuum cell to demonstrate the feasibility of a fully miniaturized laser cooling platform. A two-step optical excitation process in rubidium is used to overcome surface-scatter limitations to the GMOT imaging. The unambiguous miniaturization and form-customizability made available with micro-fabricated UHV cells provide a promising platform for future compact cold-atom sensors.
Chip-scale atomic devices built around micro-fabricated alkali vapor cells are at the forefront of compact metrology and atomic sensors. We demonstrate a micro-fabricated vapor cell that is actively pumped to ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) to achieve laser cooling. A grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) is incorporated with a 4 mm-thick Si/glass vacuum cell to demonstrate the feasibility of a fully miniaturized laser cooling platform. A two-step optical excitation process in rubidium is used to overcome surface-scatter limitations to the GMOT imaging. The unambiguous miniaturization and form-customizability made available with micro-fabricated UHV cells provide a promising platform for future compact cold-atom sensors.
Magneto-optical traps (MOTs), indispensable to cold-atom-based quantum computing and quantum precision measurement, are increasingly desired in compact and stable form. Particularly, the six-beam 3D-MOT, distinguished by symmetric geometry and superior trapping performance, finds particularly broad applications. Conventional implementations, however, rely on complex and bulky free-space optics, hindering miniaturization, practical assembly, and long-term stability. Here, we demonstrate a compact six-beam 3D-MOT system that employs two multifunctional optical metasurface chips to implement the optical-field functionalities required for cooling and trapping atoms. By combining two metasurface chips and a vacuum cell, a photonic-integrated cell module (PICM) is implemented as the core assembly and the volume is only" 73*73*107 mm^3" . In success, 1.3 * 10^3 Rb atoms are trapped and cooled to the temperature of ~183 μK. It should be noticed that the laser beam is guided to the metasurface through optical fiber, thus such fully fiber-coupled architecture enables straightforward and stable operations. We believe that this work would pave a practical route toward compact and portable 3D-MOT.
Compact cold-atom sensors depend on vacuum technology. One of the major limitations to miniaturizing these sensors is the active pumps—typically ion pumps—that are required to sustain the low pressure needed for laser cooling. Although passively pumped chambers have been proposed as a solution to this problem, technical challenges have prevented successful operation at the levels needed for cold-atom experiments. The authors present the first demonstration of a vacuum package successfully independent of ion pumps for more than a week; their vacuum package is capable of sustaining a cloud of cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for greater than 200 days using only non-evaporable getters and a rubidium dispenser. Measurements of the MOT lifetime indicate that the package maintains a pressure of better than 2×10−7 Torr. This result will significantly enable the development of compact atomic sensors, including those sensitive to magnetic fields, where the absence of an ion pump will be advantageous.
Abstract We present a compact cold atom platform where an optical grating chip and planar coil chip are placed inside a compact vacuum chamber to create a magneto-optical trap. This approach significantly reduces the system volume to about 20 × 20 × 20 cm3 compared to conventional vacuum systems and offers greater flexibility in accessing the trapped atoms. We demonstrate the trapping of 3 × 105 cold rubidium atoms at a temperature of 100 μK in a vacuum pressure below 10−7 mbar. The simplified optical geometry, low power consumption, and high degree of integration make this a promising platform for portable and versatile cold-atom devices in quantum sensing, timing, and information processing.
Abstract Laser-cooled atoms are a key technology for many calibration-free measurement platforms—including clocks, gyroscopes, and gravimeters—and are a promising system for quantum networking and quantum computing. The optics and vacuum hardware required to prepare these gases are often bulky and not amenable to large-volume manufacturing, limiting the practical realization of devices benefiting from the properties of cold atoms. Planar, lithographically produced optics including photonic integrated circuits, optical metasurfaces (MSs), and gratings offer a pathway to develop chip-scale, manufacturable devices utilizing cold atoms. As a demonstration of this technology, we have realized laser cooling of atomic Rb in a grating-type magneto-optical trap (MOT) using planar optics for beam launching, beam shaping, and polarization control. Efficient use of available light is accomplished using MS-enabled beam shaping, and the performance of the planar optics MOT is competitive with Gaussian-beam illuminated grating MOTs.