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arXiv:1410.1832 · Physical Review A

Scaling behavior of a very large magneto-optical trap

A. Camara, Robin Kaiser, G. Labeyrie

Published Dec 1, 2014• 35 citations
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Abstract

We investigate the scaling behavior of a very large magneto-optical trap (VLMOT) containing up to $1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}$ atoms, loaded from a background vapor. By varying the diameter of the trapping beams, we are able to change the number of trapped atoms by more than 5 orders of magnitude. We then study the scaling laws of the loading and size of the VLMOT, and analyze the shape of the density profile in this regime where the Coulomb-like, light-mediated repulsive interaction between atoms is expected to play an important role.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.90.063404

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We investigate the scaling behavior of a very large magneto-optical trap (VLMOT) containing up to 1.4\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1011Rb871.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}1.4\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1011Rb87 atoms, loaded from a background vapor. By varying the diameter of the trapping beams, we are able to change the number of trapped atoms by more than 5 orders of magnitude. We then study the scaling laws of the loading and size of the VLMOT, and analyze the shape of the density profile in this regime where the Coulomb-like, light-mediated repulsive interaction between atoms is expected to play an important role.
We investigate the scaling behavior of a very large magneto-optical trap (VLMOT) containing up to 1.4×10111.4 \times 10^{11}1.4×1011 Rb87^{87}87 atoms. By varying the diameter of the trapping beams, we are able to change the number of trapped atoms by more than 5 orders of magnitude. We then study the scaling laws of the loading and size of the VLMOT, and analyze the shape of the density profile in this regime where the Coulomb-like, light-mediated repulsive interaction between atoms is expected to play an important role.
Multiple scattering of light has been the main limitation of the maximum atomic density achievable in magneto-optical traps (MOTs). We present a detailed experimental investigation of the size and density scaling laws for large MOTs with up to N=1010 atoms, larger than those usually studied in detail. Most of our observations can be explained with previous models and only a few regimes show unexplained deviations. We also propose a new repulsion mechanism, based on the rescattered repumper photons that might limit the atomic density of atoms when the optical thickness for repumper light becomes important, adding an additional ingredient in the complexity of large MOTs.
\nWe study the properties of a magneto-optical trap of Rubidium in the\nlimit of very large number of atoms (up to Nrmat=1010_{\\rm at} =10^{10}rmat​=1010). In\nthis regime we observe a new scaling law for the size of the MOT ($\n\\propto {\\rm N}_{\\rm at}$1/2^{1/2}1/2). Several physical ingredients could\npossibly contribute to this new behavior : a correction of the\nspring constant due to the shadow effect, multiple scattering beyond\ndouble scattering and non linear spatial dependence of the forces.\nThis study should allow to design new compression technique to\nachieve high spatial densities (ideally up to ${\\rm n}=10^{13}\\,{\\rm\ncm}^{-3}$) in order to study new localization effects of light in\ndense cloud of cold atoms.\n
We measure the number of atoms N trapped in a conventional vapor-cell magneto-optic trap (MOT) using beams that have a diameter d in the range 1-5 mm. We show that the N is proportional to d(3.6) scaling law observed for larger MOTs is a robust approximation for optimized MOTs with beam diameters as small as 3 mm. For smaller beams, the description of the scaling depends on how d is defined. The most consistent picture of the scaling is obtained when d is defined as the diameter where the intensity profile of the trapping beams decreases to the saturation intensity. Using this definition, N scales as d(6) for d<2.3 mm but, at larger d, N still scales as d(3.6).
We present in this paper a review of our work on the impact of long-range interactions on the static and dynamic behaviors of magneto-optical traps (MOT) for neutral atoms. In such systems, all forces (confinement and interaction) are mediated by light. The most obvious signature of longrange interactions is the dependence of the MOT size with number  of trapped atoms. We study in detail the scaling laws for the MOT size versus  , in a range of large N '3> 10^. We then show that the competition between confinement and repulsive interaction can lead, for  large, to a new dynamical instability characterized by spontaneous, self-sustained oscillations of the MOT. This instability is investigated experimentally and theoretically, using both a simple analytical model and a more refined numerical one.
We present in this paper a review of our work on the impact of long‐range interactions on the static and dynamic behaviors of magneto‐optical traps (MOT) for neutral atoms. In such systems, all forces (confinement and interaction) are mediated by light. The most obvious signature of long‐range interactions is the dependence of the MOT size with number N of trapped atoms. We study in detail the scaling laws for the MOT size versus N, in a range of large N≫108. We then show that the competition between confinement and repulsive interaction can lead, for N large, to a new dynamical instability characterized by spontaneous, self‐sustained oscillations of the MOT. This instability is investigated experimentally and theoretically, using both a simple analytical model and a more refined numerical one.