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:1803.06475 · Physical Review A

Magneto-optical trapping of optically pumped metastable europium

Ryotaro Inoue, Yuki Miyazawa, Mikio Kozuma

Published Jun 18, 2018• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We demonstrate laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of europium. The atoms are optically pumped to a metastable state and then loaded from an atomic-beam source via conventional Zeeman slowing and magneto-optical trapping techniques using a $J=13/2\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}J=15/2$ quasicyclic transition. The trapped populations contained up to $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms, and a two-body loss rate is estimated as $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{s}$ from the nonexponential loss of atoms at high densities. We also observed leakage out of the quasicyclic transition to the two metastable states with $J=9/2$ and $11/2$, which is adequate to pump the laser-cooled atoms back to the $J=7/2$ ground state.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.97.061607

Related papers

Narrow-line magneto-optical trap for europium

Yuki Miyazawa, Ryotaro Inoue, Hiroki Matsui +2 more

We report on the realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for europium atoms using a narrow-line cooling transition with a natural linewidth of 97 kHz. Europium is a strongly dipolar species with interesting properties, such as the presence of hyperfine structure and the absence of electronic orbital angular momentum. Our starting point of the MOT is continuous capturing and cooling of optically pumped metastable europium atoms. We have employed simultaneous MOT for the metastable and ground-state atoms. The trapped metastable atoms are successively pumped back to the ground state and then continuously loaded to the narrow-line MOT, where up to $4.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms are captured. A spin-polarized sample at a temperature of $6\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ and with a peak number density of $2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ is obtained through the compression process, resulting in a phase space density of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$.

arXiv:2102.11700•Physical Review A•May 26, 2021•18 citations

Magnetic trap of metastable europium atoms

Hiroki Matsui, Yuki Miyazawa, Ryotaro Inoue +1 more

We report the measurement of one-body loss rates for magnetically trapped metastable europium atoms and the study of their loss mechanism. The loss of atoms observed in a magneto-optical trap is not fully understood because of the indivisibility of the loss regarding optical pumpings due to the presence of cooling laser beams. We magnetically trap the atoms by directly loading from the magneto-optical trap and observe almost identical one-body loss rates of approximately $2.6\,\mathrm{s^{-1}}$ for two isotopes: $\mathrm{{}^{151}Eu}$ and $\mathrm{{}^{153}Eu}$. Our rate-equation-based model, combined with loss rate measurements carried out with repumpers, shows that blackbody radiation at room temperature drives E1 transitions and induces the observed losses.

•Apr 28, 2021•0 citations

Magneto-optical trapping of barium

Subhadeep De, Umakanth Dammalapati, Klaus Peter Jungmann +1 more

Laser cooling and trapping of the heavy alkaline-earth-metal element barium has been achieved based on the strong $6{s}^{2}\text{ }{^{1}S}_{0}\text{\ensuremath{-}}6s6p\text{ }{^{1}P}_{1}$ transition. The excited state decays to a large fraction into metastable $D$ states. Two schemes were implemented where three additional laser-driven transitions provide closed cooling cycles. This results in a fraction of 50(20)% of the trapped atoms in one of the metastable states. A total efficiency of $0.4(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for slowing a thermal atomic beam and capturing atoms into a magneto-optical trap was obtained. Trap lifetimes of more than 1.5 s were observed. They are shortened at high laser intensities by three photon photoionization losses. The developed scheme can be transferred to other systems with large leakage from the cooling transition, such as Ra which is interesting for sensitive fundamental symmetry research.

arXiv:0807.4100•Physical Review A•Apr 13, 2009•73 citations

Laser Cooling without Repumping: A Magneto-Optical Trap for Erbium Atoms

Jabez J. McClelland, J. Hanssen

We report on a novel mechanism that allows for strong laser cooling of atoms that do not have a closed cycling transition. This mechanism is observed in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for erbium, an atom with a very complex energy level structure with multiple pathways for optical-pumping losses. We observe surprisingly high trap populations of over 10(6) atoms and densities of over 10(11) atoms cm(-3), despite the many potential loss channels. A model based on recycling of metastable and ground state atoms held in the quadrupole magnetic field of the trap explains the high trap population, and agrees well with time-dependent measurements of MOT fluorescence. The demonstration of trapping of a rare-earth atom such as erbium opens a wide range of new possibilities for practical applications and fundamental studies with cold atoms.

Physical Review Letters•Apr 14, 2006•197 citations

Magneto-optical trapping of metastable xenon: Isotope-shift measurements

M. Walhout, Henry J. L. Megens, A. Witte +1 more

We have magneto-optically trapped the nine stable isotopes of xenon. Using the Zeeman slowing method to decelerate a beam of xenon atoms in the metastable 6s 3/2 [3/2${]}_{2}$ state (notation representing nl ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{core}}$ [K=${\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{core}}$+l${]}_{\mathit{J}}$), we load our trap to a collisionally limited density of more than ${10}^{10}$ atoms/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. The two odd isotopes are trapped without a repumping frequency, even though they have hyperfine structure. The sensitivity of the trapping process to the laser frequency is exploited to make accurate measurements of the isotope shifts for the 6s 3/2 [3/2${]}_{2}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6p 3/2 [5/2${]}_{3}$ laser-cooling transition and of the hyperfine constants for $^{131}\mathrm{Xe}$.

Physical Review A•Aug 1, 1993•70 citations

Magneto-optical trapping of holmium atoms

Jinlu Miao, James Hostetter, Georgios Stratis +1 more

We demonstrate sub-Doppler laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of the rare earth element Holmium. Atoms are loaded from an atomic beam source and captured in six-beam $σ_+ - σ_-$ molasses using a strong $J=15/2 \leftrightarrow J=17/2$ cycling transition at $λ=410.5 \rm nm$. Due to the small difference in hyperfine splittings and Landé $g$-factors in the lower and upper levels of the cooling transition the MOT is self-repumped without additional repump light, and deep sub-Doppler cooling is achieved with the magnetic trap turned on. We measure the leakage out of the cycling transition to metastable states and find a branching ratio $\sim 10^{-5}$ which is adequate for state resolved measurements on hyperfine encoded qubits.

arXiv:1401.4156•Physical Review A•Apr 3, 2014•87 citations
We demonstrate laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of europium. The atoms are optically pumped to a metastable state and then loaded from an atomic-beam source via conventional Zeeman slowing and magneto-optical trapping techniques using a J=13/2\ensuremath↔J=15/2J=13/2\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}J=15/2J=13/2\ensuremath↔J=15/2 quasicyclic transition. The trapped populations contained up to 1\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1071\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}1\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi107 atoms, and a two-body loss rate is estimated as 1\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10\ensuremath−10cm3/s1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{s}1\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi10\ensuremath−10cm3/s from the nonexponential loss of atoms at high densities. We also observed leakage out of the quasicyclic transition to the two metastable states with J=9/2J=9/2J=9/2 and 11/211/211/2, which is adequate to pump the laser-cooled atoms back to the J=7/2J=7/2J=7/2 ground state.
We report on the realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for europium atoms using a narrow-line cooling transition with a natural linewidth of 97 kHz. Europium is a strongly dipolar species with interesting properties, such as the presence of hyperfine structure and the absence of electronic orbital angular momentum. Our starting point of the MOT is continuous capturing and cooling of optically pumped metastable europium atoms. We have employed simultaneous MOT for the metastable and ground-state atoms. The trapped metastable atoms are successively pumped back to the ground state and then continuously loaded to the narrow-line MOT, where up to $4.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms are captured. A spin-polarized sample at a temperature of $6\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ and with a peak number density of $2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ is obtained through the compression process, resulting in a phase space density of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$.
We report the measurement of one-body loss rates for magnetically trapped metastable europium atoms and the study of their loss mechanism. The loss of atoms observed in a magneto-optical trap is not fully understood because of the indivisibility of the loss regarding optical pumpings due to the presence of cooling laser beams. We magnetically trap the atoms by directly loading from the magneto-optical trap and observe almost identical one-body loss rates of approximately 2.6 s−12.6\,\mathrm{s^{-1}}2.6s−1 for two isotopes: 151Eu\mathrm{{}^{151}Eu}151Eu and 153Eu\mathrm{{}^{153}Eu}153Eu. Our rate-equation-based model, combined with loss rate measurements carried out with repumpers, shows that blackbody radiation at room temperature drives E1 transitions and induces the observed losses.
Laser cooling and trapping of the heavy alkaline-earth-metal element barium has been achieved based on the strong $6{s}^{2}\text{ }{^{1}S}_{0}\text{\ensuremath{-}}6s6p\text{ }{^{1}P}_{1}$ transition. The excited state decays to a large fraction into metastable DDD states. Two schemes were implemented where three additional laser-driven transitions provide closed cooling cycles. This results in a fraction of 50(20)% of the trapped atoms in one of the metastable states. A total efficiency of $0.4(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for slowing a thermal atomic beam and capturing atoms into a magneto-optical trap was obtained. Trap lifetimes of more than 1.5 s were observed. They are shortened at high laser intensities by three photon photoionization losses. The developed scheme can be transferred to other systems with large leakage from the cooling transition, such as Ra which is interesting for sensitive fundamental symmetry research.
We report on a novel mechanism that allows for strong laser cooling of atoms that do not have a closed cycling transition. This mechanism is observed in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for erbium, an atom with a very complex energy level structure with multiple pathways for optical-pumping losses. We observe surprisingly high trap populations of over 10(6) atoms and densities of over 10(11) atoms cm(-3), despite the many potential loss channels. A model based on recycling of metastable and ground state atoms held in the quadrupole magnetic field of the trap explains the high trap population, and agrees well with time-dependent measurements of MOT fluorescence. The demonstration of trapping of a rare-earth atom such as erbium opens a wide range of new possibilities for practical applications and fundamental studies with cold atoms.
We have magneto-optically trapped the nine stable isotopes of xenon. Using the Zeeman slowing method to decelerate a beam of xenon atoms in the metastable 6s 3/2 [3/2]2{]}_{2}]2​ state (notation representing nl Jcore{\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{core}}Jcore​ [K=Jcore{\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{core}}Jcore​+l]J{]}_{\mathit{J}}]J​), we load our trap to a collisionally limited density of more than 1010{10}^{10}1010 atoms/cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3. The two odd isotopes are trapped without a repumping frequency, even though they have hyperfine structure. The sensitivity of the trapping process to the laser frequency is exploited to make accurate measurements of the isotope shifts for the 6s 3/2 [3/2]2{]}_{2}]2​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6p 3/2 [5/2]3{]}_{3}]3​ laser-cooling transition and of the hyperfine constants for 131Xe^{131}\mathrm{Xe}131Xe.
We demonstrate sub-Doppler laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of the rare earth element Holmium. Atoms are loaded from an atomic beam source and captured in six-beam σ+−σ−σ_+ - σ_-σ+​−σ−​ molasses using a strong J=15/2↔J=17/2J=15/2 \leftrightarrow J=17/2J=15/2↔J=17/2 cycling transition at λ=410.5nmλ=410.5 \rm nmλ=410.5nm. Due to the small difference in hyperfine splittings and Landé ggg-factors in the lower and upper levels of the cooling transition the MOT is self-repumped without additional repump light, and deep sub-Doppler cooling is achieved with the magnetic trap turned on. We measure the leakage out of the cycling transition to metastable states and find a branching ratio ∼10−5\sim 10^{-5}∼10−5 which is adequate for state resolved measurements on hyperfine encoded qubits.