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arXiv:2408.03310 · Physical Review Applied

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

Xin Wang, Thilina Muthu-Arachchige, Tangi Legrand, Ludwig Müller, Wolfgang Alt, Sebastian Hofferberth, Eduardo Uruñuela

Published Jan 3, 2025• 4 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1103/physrevapplied.23.014004

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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 1S0\ensuremath→1P1{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{1}{P}_{1}1S0​\ensuremath→1P1​ 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∼2\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi107\ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}\ensuremath∼2\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi107 atoms of 174Yb{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb within 2.5 s and subsequently the narrow 1S0\ensuremath→3P1{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{3}{P}_{1}1S0​\ensuremath→3P1​ 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.
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 report on the first experimental setup based on a 2D-/3D-magneto-optical trap (MOT) scheme to create both Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases of several ytterbium isotopes. Our setup does not require a Zeeman slower and offers the flexibility to simultaneously produce ultracold samples of other atomic species. Furthermore, the extraordinary optical access favors future experiments in optical lattices. A 2D-MOT on the strong (1)S0 → (1)P1 transition captures ytterbium directly from a dispenser of atoms and loads a 3D-MOT on the narrow (1)S0 → (3)P1 intercombination transition. Subsequently, atoms are transferred to a crossed optical dipole trap and cooled evaporatively to quantum degeneracy.
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 demonstrate efficient loading of an Yb three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D MOT) on the 1S0 → 1P1 transition. The experiment employs a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT) as an efficient cold atom source. Through optimization of the 2D MOT, auxiliary Zeeman slower, and push beam parameters that govern atomic capture, we achieve an atomic loading rate of 5 × 106 atoms/s in the 3D MOT, with approximately ∼107 trapped atoms. Our experimental results confirm the successful transfer of a substantial number of atoms from the 2D region to the science chamber via the push beam, providing an experimental foundation for subsequent implementation of narrow-line MOT and two-color MOT.
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.