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arXiv:2603.25312 · AVS Quantum Science

A high-flux source of cold strontium with a loading rate of 4×1010 atoms/s for open release

Thomas Walker, A. L. Marchant, Elliot Bentine, O. L. Buchmueller, Katherine Clarke, Christopher J. Foot, Leonie Hawkins, Kenneth M. Hughes, Kamran Hussain, L. Iannizzotto-Venezze, A. Josset, Hamza Labiad, D J Lee, Timothy C. Thornton-Sparkes, T. Valenzuela, M. van der Grinten, Andrew Vick, Mark G. Bason, Charles F. A. Baynham, Richard Hobson

Published Jul 10, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

We present a high-flux source of cold strontium atoms based on a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT) and a Zeeman slower. We use the source to load a 3D MOT in a separate science chamber, observing a loading rate of 4×1010 atoms/s—to our knowledge, the highest reported loading flux for strontium. To characterize the vacuum pressure in the science chamber, we load the atoms into a magnetic trap and measure a lifetime of between 8 and 24 s, depending on the oven temperature. Finally, we characterize the atom flux and velocity distributions from the oven and from the 2D MOT source, finding reasonable agreement with models in the free molecular flow regime. Our results show that it is possible to readily produce a cold strontium flux at comparable levels to those of alkali species, at oven temperatures compatible with long-term operation, and at vacuum pressures suitable for state-of-the-art quantum experiments. We make our design available at no cost to benefit researchers in the quantum community.

DOI
10.1116/5.0338570

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We present a high-flux source of cold strontium atoms based on a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT) and a Zeeman slower. We use the source to load a 3D MOT in a separate science chamber, observing a loading rate of 4×1010 atoms/s—to our knowledge, the highest reported loading flux for strontium. To characterize the vacuum pressure in the science chamber, we load the atoms into a magnetic trap and measure a lifetime of between 8 and 24 s, depending on the oven temperature. Finally, we characterize the atom flux and velocity distributions from the oven and from the 2D MOT source, finding reasonable agreement with models in the free molecular flow regime. Our results show that it is possible to readily produce a cold strontium flux at comparable levels to those of alkali species, at oven temperatures compatible with long-term operation, and at vacuum pressures suitable for state-of-the-art quantum experiments. We make our design available at no cost to benefit researchers in the quantum community.
We report on the realization of a transversely loaded two-dimensional magneto-optical trap serving as a source for cold strontium atoms. We analyze the dependence of the source's properties on various parameters, in particular the intensity of a pushing beam accelerating the atoms out of the source. An atomic flux exceeding 109atoms/s{10}^{9}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{atoms}/\mathrm{s}109atoms/s at a rather moderate oven temperature of $500{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$ is achieved. The longitudinal velocity of the atomic beam can be tuned over several tens of m/s by adjusting the power of the pushing laser beam. The beam divergence is around 60 mrad, determined by the transverse velocity distribution of the cold atoms. The slow atom source is used to load a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap realizing loading rates up to 109atoms/s{10}^{9}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{atoms}/\mathrm{s}109atoms/s without indication of saturation of the loading rate for increasing oven temperature. The compact setup avoids undesired effects found in alternative sources like, e.g., Zeeman slowers, such as vacuum contamination and black-body radiation due to the hot strontium oven.
Abstract The atom source is a relevant component in many atomic molecular optics experiments. The compactness and efficiency of the source are fundamental issues, acquiring more importance as the complexity of the experiments increases. Characterizing new techniques to produce high atom flux is necessary to know the efficiency and peculiarities of each one. This allows choosing the most suitable source for a specific experiment. In this work, we show a direct comparison between a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D-MOT) and a Zeeman slower (ZS) as source of cold sodium atoms to load a standard three-dimensional magneto-optical trap. The optimum parameters for each case are obtained by observing the loading rate and the final number of atoms in the 3D-MOT. We conclude that the 2D-MOT provides a high flux of atoms comparable with that produced by the ZS, but with an enormous advantage with respect to the size of the apparatus.
Integrating two chemically distinct atomic species into a miniaturized, high-flux cold-atom source is a key challenge for modern experiments with ultracold atomic mixtures and polar molecules.Here, we report a compact setup with in-series two-dimensional magneto-optical traps (2D MOTs) that provides high-flux cold lithium and rubidium atoms.Thanks to the efficient short-distance Zeeman slowing, the maximum 3D MOT loading rate of lithium atoms reaches a record value of 6.6 × 10 9 atoms/s at a moderate lithium-oven temperature of 372 degrees Celsius, which is 44 times higher than that without the Zeeman slowing light.The flux of rubidium is also as high as 2.3 × 10 9 atoms/s with the rubidium oven held at room temperature.Meanwhile, the entire vacuum-chamber system, including an ultra-high-vacuum science cell, is within a small volume of 65 × 55 × 70 cm 3 .Our work represents a substantial improvement over traditional bulky and complex dual-species cold-atom setups.It provides a good starting point for the fast production of a double-degenerate lithium-rubidium atomic mixture and large samples of ultracold lithium-rubidium ground-state molecules.
We demonstrate direct loading of a strontium (Sr) magneto-optical trap (MOT) from a thermal atomic beam in a single-chamber vacuum system. The MOT operates without a Zeeman slower, a slowing laser, a two-dimensional MOT, or differential pumping, while the entire system is maintained in the ultra-high-vacuum regime by a single ion pump. At an oven temperature of 395 °C, the MOT captures up to 107 88Sr atoms with a loading rate of 107 atoms s-1, while sustaining a background gas pressure of 1 × 10-9 Torr. At this oven temperature, the MOT lifetime limited by collisions with background gas is ∼5s, with the atom number primarily constrained by light-assisted two-body collisions. Eliminating differential pumping and precooling stages significantly reduces the system's size, weight, and power requirements, providing a robust and practical platform for field-deployable and spaceborne optical lattice clocks, as well as a variety of other applications requiring compact ultracold atom sources.
Abstract We present a novel cold strontium atom source designed for quantum sensors. We optimized the deceleration process to capture a large velocity class of atoms emitted from an oven and achieved a compact and low-power setup capable of generating a high atomic flux. Our approach involves velocity-dependent transverse capture of atoms using a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap. To enhance the atomic flux, we employ tailored magnetic fields that minimize radial beam expansion and incorporate a cascaded Zeeman-slowing configuration utilizing two optical frequencies. The performance is comparable to that of conventional Zeeman slower sources, and the scheme is applicable to other atomic species. Our results represent a significant advancement towards the deployment of portable and, possibly, space-based cold atom sensors.
Integrating two chemically distinct atomic species into a miniaturized, high-flux cold-atom source is a key challenge for modern experiments with ultracold atomic mixtures and polar molecules. Here, we report a compact setup with in-series two-dimensional magneto-optical traps (2D MOTs) that provides high-flux cold lithium and rubidium atoms. Thanks to the efficient short-distance Zeeman slowing, the maximum 3D MOT loading rate of lithium atoms reaches a record value of 6.6 × 10 9 atoms/s at a moderate lithium-oven temperature of 372 degrees Celsius, which is 44 times higher than that without the Zeeman slowing light. The flux of rubidium is also as high as 2.3 × 10 9 atoms/s with the rubidium oven held at room temperature. Meanwhile, the entire vacuum-chamber system, including an ultra-high-vacuum science cell, is within a small volume of 65 × 55 × 70 cm 3 . Our work represents a substantial improvement over traditional bulky and complex dual-species cold-atom setups. It provides a good starting point for the fast production of a double-degenerate lithium-rubidium atomic mixture and large samples of ultracold lithium-rubidium ground-state molecules.