Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1502.07240 · Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Two-color magneto-optical trap with small magnetic field for ytterbium

Akio Kawasaki, Boris Braverman, QinQin Yu, Vladan Vuletić

Published Jun 26, 2015• 22 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract We report a two-color magneto-optical trap (MOT) for ytterbium atoms where the slowing and trapping functions are separately performed by the singlet transition light ( ) and the triplet transition light ( ), respectively. The two-color MOT is achieved by simultaneously applying laser light on both the broad-linewidth singlet transition and the narrow-linewidth triplet transition. It is highly robust against laser power imbalance even at very low magnetic field gradients, and can operate at magnetic field gradients down to 2 G cm −1 where a conventional MOT using the singlet transition is unable to trap atoms. We load and trap up to atoms directly from an atomic beam at 700 K.

DOI
10.1088/0953-4075/48/15/155302

Related papers

Two-color magneto-optical trap with small magnetic field for ytterbium

Akio Kawasaki, Boris Braverman, Qinqin Yu +1 more

We report a two-color magneto-optical trap (MOT) for ytterbium atoms where the slowing and trapping functions are separately performed by the singlet transition light (6s[superscript 2] [superscript 1]S[subscript 0] → 6s6p [superscript 1]P[subscript 1]) and the triplet transition light (6s[superscript 2] [superscript 1]S[subscript 0] → 6s6p [superscript 3]P[subscript 1]), respectively. The two-color MOT is achieved by simultaneously applying laser light on both the broad-linewidth singlet transition and the narrow-linewidth triplet transition. It is highly robust against laser power imbalance even at very low magnetic field gradients, and can operate at magnetic field gradients down to 2 G cm[superscript −1] where a conventional MOT using the singlet transition is unable to trap atoms. We load and trap up to 4.0 × 10[superscript 5] atoms directly from an atomic beam at 700 K.

•May 1, 2015•19 citations

Two-color magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms

Xiao Li, Yufei Wang, Li Yu +1 more

We report laser cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms in a two-color magneto-optical trap (MOT). Benefited from both the broad singlet transition ($^1\text{S}_0\rightarrow {}^1\text{P}_1$) and the narrow intercombination transition ($^1\text{S}_0\rightarrow {}^3\text{P}_1$) of ytterbium atoms, the two-color MOT enables rapid loading and efficient cooling. We systematically investigate the shielding effect of the intercombination transition by examining the atom loading and loss rates of single-color and two-color MOTs. Our findings are general and can be extended to other alkaline earth(-like) atoms.

arXiv:2503.24383•Physical Review Applied•Sep 19, 2025•2 citations

Two-color ytterbium magneto-optical trap in a compact dual-chamber setup

Xin Wang, Thilina Muthu-Arachchige, Tangi Legrand +4 more

We present an experimental scheme for producing ultracold ytterbium atoms in a compact dual-chamber setup. A dispenser-loaded two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT) using permanent magnets and operating on the broad ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{1}{P}_{1}$ singlet transition delivers over ${10}^{7}$ atoms per second through a differential pumping stage into a three-dimensional MOT. The two-color three-dimensional MOT uses the broad singlet transition to accumulate $\ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms of ${}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ within 2.5 s and subsequently the narrow ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination line to cool the atomic cloud to below 10 \textmu{}K. We report optimized parameters for each stage of the atom collection sequence, achieving high transfer efficiency. We find that shelving into the triplet state during the broad-transition MOT almost doubles the number of trapped atoms.

arXiv:2408.03310•Physical Review Applied•Jan 3, 2025•4 citations

Simultaneous magneto-optical trapping of Ytterbium and Caesium

R. Freytag

This thesis presents progress toward the production of ultracold CsYb molecules. To this end, an apparatus capable of producing magneto optical traps of Yb and Cs was designed, built and tested. Both atoms are produced in a dual species oven and both slowed to low speeds by a single Zeeman slower. From the Zeeman slower atoms are captured in a dual-species magneto-optical trap. To cool caesium the 852 nm D2 transition is addressed by two lasers for cooling and repump. For ytterbium the 399 nm 1S0 ⇒ 1P1 transition is addressed for the Zeeman slower and the 556 nm 1S0 ⇒ 3P1 transition is addressed for the magneto-optical trap. The 399 nm light is produced by two homebuilt diode lasers in an injection-seeding setup, which can produce up to 100 mW. The 556 nm light is produced from a commercial frequency doubled fiber laser, which can produce up to 260 mW. The Zeeman slower is characterised experimentally for both Cs and Yb, and the results compared to those of a numerical simulation of the slower for Yb. The velocity distribution exiting the slower is very sensitive to the exact magnetic field profile, the laser power and detuning of the laser light. The number of atoms loaded into the magneto-optical trap was investigated as a function of the magnetic field gradient, the laser power and the laser detuning. The capture velocity of the Yb MOT is small because the linewidth of the MOT transition is narrow, and so we investigated the influence of broadening the laser linewidth by adding multiple finely-spaced sidebands to the laser light. After optimisation the caesium MOT trapped 5.5 ×10^8 atoms at 125 ± 4 μK. The ytterbium MOT trapped 4.7 ×10^9 atoms at 81 ± 2 μK. Lastly we demonstrate that both MOTs can be produced in the same vacuum chamber simultaneously.

•May 1, 2015•2 citations

Magneto-Optical Trapping of Ytterbium Atoms with a 398.9 nm Laser

Zhao Peng-Yi, Xiong Zhuan-Xian, Jie Liang +2 more

We report the realization of ytterbium magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating on the dipole-allowed 1 S 0 — 1 P 1 transition at 398.9 nm. The MOT is loaded by a slowed atomic beam produced by a Zeeman slower. All seven stable isotopes of Yb atoms could be trapped separately at different laser detuning values. Over 10 7 174 Yb atoms are collected in the MOT, whereas the atom number of fermionic isotope 171 Yb is roughly 2.3 × 10 6 due to a lower abundance. Without the Zeeman slower, the trapped atom numbers are one order of magnitude lower. Both the even and odd isotopes are recognized as excellent candidates of optical clock transition, so the cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms by the blue MOT is an important step for building an optical clock.

Chinese Physics Letters•Oct 1, 2008•16 citations

Realization of Green MOT for Ytterbium Atoms

Zhao Peng-Yii, Xiong Zhuan-Xian, Yun Long +2 more

We report the experimental realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of 174 Yb atoms operating on the 1 So− 3 P 1 intercombination transition at 555.8 nm. The green MOT is loaded by a Zeeman-slowed atomic beam. In order to increase the capture velocity of the MOT, we use the trapping laser beams consisting of five discrete frequency components obtained by modulating the laser light through an electro-optic modulator. The trapped atomic number of the 174 Yb isotope is about 6.2 × 10 5 , and the temperature of the cold atomic cloud is estimated to be about 100 μK. The success of the green MOT is an important step towards the goal of an ytterbium optical clock.

Chinese Physics Letters•Aug 1, 2009•12 citations
Abstract We report a two-color magneto-optical trap (MOT) for ytterbium atoms where the slowing and trapping functions are separately performed by the singlet transition light ( ) and the triplet transition light ( ), respectively. The two-color MOT is achieved by simultaneously applying laser light on both the broad-linewidth singlet transition and the narrow-linewidth triplet transition. It is highly robust against laser power imbalance even at very low magnetic field gradients, and can operate at magnetic field gradients down to 2 G cm −1 where a conventional MOT using the singlet transition is unable to trap atoms. We load and trap up to atoms directly from an atomic beam at 700 K.
We report a two-color magneto-optical trap (MOT) for ytterbium atoms where the slowing and trapping functions are separately performed by the singlet transition light (6s[superscript 2] [superscript 1]S[subscript 0] → 6s6p [superscript 1]P[subscript 1]) and the triplet transition light (6s[superscript 2] [superscript 1]S[subscript 0] → 6s6p [superscript 3]P[subscript 1]), respectively. The two-color MOT is achieved by simultaneously applying laser light on both the broad-linewidth singlet transition and the narrow-linewidth triplet transition. It is highly robust against laser power imbalance even at very low magnetic field gradients, and can operate at magnetic field gradients down to 2 G cm[superscript −1] where a conventional MOT using the singlet transition is unable to trap atoms. We load and trap up to 4.0 × 10[superscript 5] atoms directly from an atomic beam at 700 K.
We report laser cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms in a two-color magneto-optical trap (MOT). Benefited from both the broad singlet transition (1S0→1P1^1\text{S}_0\rightarrow {}^1\text{P}_11S0​→1P1​) and the narrow intercombination transition (1S0→3P1^1\text{S}_0\rightarrow {}^3\text{P}_11S0​→3P1​) of ytterbium atoms, the two-color MOT enables rapid loading and efficient cooling. We systematically investigate the shielding effect of the intercombination transition by examining the atom loading and loss rates of single-color and two-color MOTs. Our findings are general and can be extended to other alkaline earth(-like) atoms.
We present an experimental scheme for producing ultracold ytterbium atoms in a compact dual-chamber setup. A dispenser-loaded two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT) using permanent magnets and operating on the broad ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{1}{P}_{1}$ singlet transition delivers over 107{10}^{7}107 atoms per second through a differential pumping stage into a three-dimensional MOT. The two-color three-dimensional MOT uses the broad singlet transition to accumulate $\ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms of 174Yb{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb within 2.5 s and subsequently the narrow ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination line to cool the atomic cloud to below 10 \textmu{}K. We report optimized parameters for each stage of the atom collection sequence, achieving high transfer efficiency. We find that shelving into the triplet state during the broad-transition MOT almost doubles the number of trapped atoms.
This thesis presents progress toward the production of ultracold CsYb molecules. To this end, an apparatus capable of producing magneto optical traps of Yb and Cs was designed, built and tested. Both atoms are produced in a dual species oven and both slowed to low speeds by a single Zeeman slower. From the Zeeman slower atoms are captured in a dual-species magneto-optical trap. To cool caesium the 852 nm D2 transition is addressed by two lasers for cooling and repump. For ytterbium the 399 nm 1S0 ⇒ 1P1 transition is addressed for the Zeeman slower and the 556 nm 1S0 ⇒ 3P1 transition is addressed for the magneto-optical trap. The 399 nm light is produced by two homebuilt diode lasers in an injection-seeding setup, which can produce up to 100 mW. The 556 nm light is produced from a commercial frequency doubled fiber laser, which can produce up to 260 mW. The Zeeman slower is characterised experimentally for both Cs and Yb, and the results compared to those of a numerical simulation of the slower for Yb. The velocity distribution exiting the slower is very sensitive to the exact magnetic field profile, the laser power and detuning of the laser light. The number of atoms loaded into the magneto-optical trap was investigated as a function of the magnetic field gradient, the laser power and the laser detuning. The capture velocity of the Yb MOT is small because the linewidth of the MOT transition is narrow, and so we investigated the influence of broadening the laser linewidth by adding multiple finely-spaced sidebands to the laser light. After optimisation the caesium MOT trapped 5.5 ×10^8 atoms at 125 ± 4 μK. The ytterbium MOT trapped 4.7 ×10^9 atoms at 81 ± 2 μK. Lastly we demonstrate that both MOTs can be produced in the same vacuum chamber simultaneously.
We report the realization of ytterbium magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating on the dipole-allowed 1 S 0 — 1 P 1 transition at 398.9 nm. The MOT is loaded by a slowed atomic beam produced by a Zeeman slower. All seven stable isotopes of Yb atoms could be trapped separately at different laser detuning values. Over 10 7 174 Yb atoms are collected in the MOT, whereas the atom number of fermionic isotope 171 Yb is roughly 2.3 × 10 6 due to a lower abundance. Without the Zeeman slower, the trapped atom numbers are one order of magnitude lower. Both the even and odd isotopes are recognized as excellent candidates of optical clock transition, so the cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms by the blue MOT is an important step for building an optical clock.
We report the experimental realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of 174 Yb atoms operating on the 1 So− 3 P 1 intercombination transition at 555.8 nm. The green MOT is loaded by a Zeeman-slowed atomic beam. In order to increase the capture velocity of the MOT, we use the trapping laser beams consisting of five discrete frequency components obtained by modulating the laser light through an electro-optic modulator. The trapped atomic number of the 174 Yb isotope is about 6.2 × 10 5 , and the temperature of the cold atomic cloud is estimated to be about 100 μK. The success of the green MOT is an important step towards the goal of an ytterbium optical clock.