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arXiv:2005.05674 · Optics Express

Single-shot reconstruction of the density profile of a dense atomic gas

Carmelo Mordini, Dimitrios Trypogeorgos, L. Wolswijk, Giacomo Lamporesi, G. Ferrari

Published Jul 14, 2020• 4 citations
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Abstract

Partial transfer absorption imaging (PTAI) of ultracold atoms allows for repeated and minimally-destructive measurements of an atomic ensemble. Here, we present a reconstruction technique based on PTAI that can be used to piece together the non-uniform spatial profile of high-density atomic samples using multiple measurements. We achieved a thirty-fold increase of the effective dynamic range of our imaging, and were able to image otherwise saturated samples with unprecedented accuracy of both low- and high-density features.

DOI
10.1364/oe.397567

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Partial transfer absorption imaging (PTAI) of ultracold atoms allows for repeated and minimally-destructive measurements of an atomic ensemble. Here, we present a reconstruction technique based on PTAI that can be used to piece together the non-uniform spatial profile of high-density atomic samples using multiple measurements. We achieved a thirty-fold increase of the effective dynamic range of our imaging, and were able to image otherwise saturated samples with unprecedented accuracy of both low- and high-density features.
Partial-transfer absorption imaging is a tool that enables optimal imaging of atomic clouds for a wide range of optical depths. In contrast to standard absorption imaging, the technique can be minimally destructive and can be used to obtain multiple successive images of the same sample. The technique involves transferring a small fraction of the sample from an initial internal atomic state to an auxiliary state and subsequently imaging that fraction absorptively on a cycling transition. The atoms remaining in the initial state are essentially unaffected. We demonstrate the technique, discuss its applicability, and compare its performance as a minimally destructive technique to that of phase-contrast imaging.
We demonstrate partial-transfer absorption imaging as a technique for repeatedly imaging an ultracold atomic ensemble with minimal perturbation. We prepare an atomic cloud in a state that is dark to the imaging light. We then use a microwave pulse to coherently transfer a small fraction of the ensemble to a bright state, which we image using in situ absorption imaging. The amplitude or duration of the microwave pulse controls the fractional transfer from the dark to the bright state. For small transfer fractions, we can image the atomic cloud up to 50 times before it is depleted. As a sample application, we repeatedly image an atomic cloud oscillating in a dipole trap to measure the trap frequency.
We demonstrate partial-transfer absorption imaging as a technique for repeatedly imaging an ultracold atomic ensemble with minimal perturbation. We prepare an atomic cloud in a state that is dark to the imaging light. We then use a microwave pulse to coherently transfer a small fraction of the ensemble to a bright state, which we image using in situ absorption imaging. The amplitude or duration of the microwave pulse controls the fractional transfer from the dark to the bright state. For small transfer fractions, we can image the atomic cloud up to 50 times before it is depleted. As a sample application, we repeatedly image an atomic cloud oscillating in a dipole trap to measure the trap frequency.
We demonstrate that phase-contrast imaging (PCI) can reliably reconstruct the in situ density profile even for highly spatially and optically dense samples. In our experiment, we achieve high spatial densities of up to 7.9 × 1013 atoms/cm3 and optical depths up to 64 in a dense cold atomic cloud of 88Sr atoms. The use of a spatial light modulator instead of a fixed phase plate in the PCI setup provides enhanced flexibility and control of imaging parameters, making this imaging technique robust against imaging artifacts and adaptable to varying experimental conditions. Moreover, we quantify the conditions under which the standard single-atom polarizability model remains accurate for PCI in a density regime where collective effects should modify the atomic response of the system. We experimentally validate our statements by showing excellent agreement with time-of-flight measurements even at the highest densities. Our results establish PCI as a reliable and versatile method for characterizing spatially dense atomic clouds.
We report on a far above saturation absorption imaging technique to investigate the characteristics of dense packets of ultracold atoms. The transparency of the cloud is controlled by the incident light intensity as a result of the nonlinear response of the atoms to the probe beam. We detail our experimental procedure to calibrate the imaging system for reliable quantitative measurements and demonstrate the use of this technique to extract the profile and its spatial extent of an optically thick atomic cloud.
We present the experimental production and characterization of a dense cold atomic cloud of 88Sr^{88}\text{Sr}88Sr atoms, optimized for the future studies of light transport in highly dense regimes. Using narrow-line molasses on the 689 nm transition, combined with a far off-resonant optical dipole trap, we achieve spatial densities as high as 7.9×1013 atoms/cm37.9 \times 10^{13} \, \text{atoms/cm}^37.9×1013atoms/cm3 and optical depths up to 64. This approach stands out from previous methods by integrating narrow-line molasses with an optical dipole trap, enabling high-density samples without relying on evaporative cooling. Unlike traditional absorption imaging, which becomes inaccurate in such dense regimes, we demonstrate that phase-contrast imaging (PCI) can reliably reconstruct the in-situ density profile even for highly spatially and optically dense samples. The use of a spatial light modulator instead of a fixed phase plate in the PCI setup provides enhanced flexibility and control of imaging parameters, making this imaging technique robust against imaging artifacts and adaptable to varying experimental conditions. Moreover, we derive theoretical conditions for reliable PCI operation in dense regimes and validate these experimentally, showing excellent agreement with time-of-flight measurements even at the highest densities. Our results establish a robust method for producing and characterizing dense atomic clouds.