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arXiv:2311.16708 · Optical Engineering

Development of a pyramidal magneto-optical trap for pressure sensing application

S. Supakar, Vivek Singh, Yeddanapudi Pavan Kumar, Sanjiv Kumar Tiwari, Chandrachur Mukherjee, M. P. Kamath, Vibhuti Bhushan Tiwari, Satya Ram Mishra

Published May 2, 2024• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We report the development and working of a compact rubidium atom magneto-optical trap (MOT) operated with a hollow pyramidal mirror and a single laser beam. This type of compact MOT is suitable for developing portable atom-optic devices as it works with a smaller number of optical components compared with the conventional MOT setup. The application of this compact MOT setup for pressure sensing has been demonstrated.

DOI
10.1117/1.oe.63.5.054103

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We report the development and working of a compact rubidium atom magneto-optical trap (MOT) operated with a hollow pyramidal mirror and a single laser beam. This type of compact MOT is suitable for developing portable atom-optic devices as it works with a smaller number of optical components compared with the conventional MOT setup. The application of this compact MOT setup for pressure sensing has been demonstrated.
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We have used a pyramid magneto-optical trap (MOT) to create a compact source of cold rubidium atoms. The four dielectric-coated metal mirrors in vacuum are arranged in the form of a pyramid that creates the light field for a MOT from a single ingoing laser beam. The atoms are pushed out through a hole (aperture) in the apex of the pyramid, in a direction determined by the laser light, to give a flux of Rb-87 atoms greater than 2 × 10^10 per second with a mean velocity of 33 m/s (FWHM of 28 m/s) and a divergence of 58 mrad. The pyramid MOT has a unique mechanism for adjusting aperture size and it is highly suitable for portable quantum technology devices.
We present a novel and simple magneto-optical trap in pyramidal and in conical hollow mirrors, using a single beam. A diode laser having modulation sidebands at microwaves is used for cooling, trapping, and repumping of rubidium atoms in a vapor cell. When the laser is circularly polarized and sent into the hollow region, three pairs of counterpropagating beams are automatically produced therein that have the same polarization configuration as that of a conventional six-beam magneto-optical trap. The fluorescence by the trapped atoms and its mirror image are observed simultaneously. This system may be useful for atom-manipulation applications such as gravitational atom traps and atom waveguides.
In this Master's thesis a Pyramidal Magneto-Optical Trap for rubidium has been designed.The trap is intended to be used in Atomic Physics courses for demonstration and laboratory exercises.The theory for cooling and trapping 85 Rb and 87 Rb is developed.A detailed design of a low-cost and robust MOT is presented.Two frequency locked laser systems have been built.Most of the components necessary to build the MOT have been identified, borrowed or purchased.The mechanical support to hold a pyramidal mirror has also been realized.The report discusses how to complete the construction of the MOT.
Magneto-optical traps (MOTs) are widely used for laser cooling of atoms. We have developed a high-flux compact cold-atom source based on a pyramid MOT with a unique adjustable aperture that is highly suitable for portable quantum technology devices, including space-based experiments. The adjustability enabled an investigation into the previously unexplored impact of aperture size on the atomic flux, and optimisation of the aperture size allowed us to demonstrate a higher flux than any reported cold-atom sources that use a pyramid, LVIS, 3D-MOT or grating MOT. We achieved 2.1(1) × 1010 atoms/s of 87Rb with a mean velocity of 32(1) m/s, FWHM of 27.6(9) m/s and divergence of 59(4) mrad. Halving the total optical power to 195 mW caused only a 20% reduction of the flux, and a 30% decrease in mean velocity. Methods to further decrease the velocity as required have been identified. The low power consumption and small size make this design suitable for a wide range of cold-atom technologies.