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

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

Towards a high flux continuous atom laser

Wilbert Rooijakkers, Mukund Vengalattore, Richard Conroy, Mara Goff Prentiss

Published Jun 25, 2003• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Summary form only given. To realize an atom laser /sup 87/Rb atoms are loaded into the waveguide using magneto-optical forces, similar to our previous setup for Cs. We have demonstrated recently that atoms can be propagated along the magnetic guide using a friction force at non-zero velocity (moving molasses). As the atoms move away from the MOT region decoupling them from the light while maintaining magnetic trapping.

DOI
10.1109/qels.2002.1031102

Related papers

Loading of a cold atomic beam into a magnetic guide

P. Cren, Christian F. Roos, Aclan, A. +2 more

We demonstrate experimentally the continuous and pulsed loading of a slow and cold atomic beam into a magnetic guide. The slow beam is produced using a vapor loaded laser trap, which ensures two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping, as well as cooling by a moving molasses along the third direction. It provides a continuous flux larger than $10^9$ atoms/s with an adjustable mean velocity ranging from 0.3 to 3 m/s, and with longitudinal and transverse temperatures smaller than $100 \mu$K. Up to $3 10^8$ atoms/s are injected into the magnetic guide and subsequently guided over a distance of 40 cm.

•Jan 1, 2002•33 citations

A high flux of ultra-cold chromium atoms in a magnetic guide

Axel Griesmaier, Anoush Aghajani-Talesh, Markus Falkenau +3 more

We report the observation of a very high flux of ultra-cold bosonic chromium atoms in a magnetic guide. The beam is created by operating a magneto-optical trap/moving optical molasses within the magnetic field of the guide. A relative detuning between two pairs of the cooling lasers cools the atoms into a frame moving along the axes of the guide. When the atoms are cooled into a moving frame with a velocity of 6 m s −1 we observe a maximum of the flux of 6 × 10 9 atoms s −1 . For these parameters the transversal temperature of the atoms after a 25 fold increase of the confining magnetic potential is about 1.2 mK. The longitudinal temperature is 400 µK.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jun 24, 2009•10 citations

An atomic fountain guided by a far-off resonance light beam

H. Davies, K. Szymaniec, Charles S. Adams

Summary form only given. We report optical guiding of cold atoms in a free-propagating far-detuned laser beam. The atoms are initially cooled and collected in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), which typically contains over 10/sup 8/ atoms in a cigar shaped cloud with an aspect ratio of 4. Approximately 20% of these atoms are loaded into a far-detuned optical dipole beam aligned vertically through the MOT. The number loaded is limited primarily by geometrical overlap. Both guided and unguided atoms are launched with a velocity of 1.25 m/s and a temperature of 20 /spl mu/K. The guided beam is focused through a 1 mm aperture, 6 cm above the MOT, which connects the vapour cell to a UHV chamber. Atoms can be launched within the guide without heating and guided into a UHV chamber with 100% efficiency. In continuous operation, the scheme allows extraction of atoms from a MOT without loss of phase space density.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jan 20, 2003•0 citations

A Source of Cold Atoms for a Continuously Loaded Magnetic Guide

Christian F. Roos, P. Cren, Jean Dalibard +1 more

We present an intense source of 87 Rb atoms that has been set up to produce a continuous, slow and cold beam in a magnetic guide. It consists of a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap whose cooling laser power is provided by a master-oscillator tapered-amplifier system. This trap produces an atomic beam with a flux of over 10 10 atoms/s and a mean velocity of 40 m/s. The beam is recaptured by a second trap whose purpose consists in reducing the beam's velocity, in further cooling the atoms and injecting them into the magnetic guide. The article focusses on the first stage of the process described above.

arXiv:cond-mat/0212060•Physica Scripta•Jan 1, 2003•4 citations

Bright, slow, and continuous beam of laser-cooled cesium atoms

P. Berthoud, E. Fretel, P. Thomann

By the moving molasses technique we have extracted laser-cooled cesium atoms in a continuous way directly from an optical molasses. The mean launching velocity is precisely tunable from 1 to 12 m/s. The atomic beam has a flux of $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8} \mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ at 7 m/s and a longitudinal temperature of $70 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K},$ which represents the highest flux and lowest velocity spread obtained so far in a continuous beam of cold atoms. These features makes it well suited for atomic fountains. The atomic flux can be slightly increased in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap operation $(+40%).$ A simple model accounts for the observed dependence of the flux with the magnetic-field gradient.

Physical Review A•Dec 1, 1999•41 citations

Continuous loading of a magnetic trap

J. Stühler, Piet O. Schmidt, S. Hensler +3 more

We have realized a scheme for continuous loading of a magnetic trap (MT). ${}^{52}\mathrm{Cr}$ atoms are continuously captured and cooled in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Optical pumping to a metastable state decouples atoms from the cooling light. Due to their high magnetic moment $(6 {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}),$ low-field seeking metastable atoms are trapped in the magnetic quadrupole field provided by the MOT. Limited by inelastic collisions between atoms in the MOT and in the MT, we load ${10}^{8}$ metastable atoms at a rate of ${10}^{8}$ atoms/s below $100 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ into the MT. Optical repumping after the loading allows us to realize a MT of ground-state chromium atoms.

arXiv:quant-ph/0011113•Physical Review A•Aug 20, 2001•75 citations
Summary form only given. To realize an atom laser /sup 87/Rb atoms are loaded into the waveguide using magneto-optical forces, similar to our previous setup for Cs. We have demonstrated recently that atoms can be propagated along the magnetic guide using a friction force at non-zero velocity (moving molasses). As the atoms move away from the MOT region decoupling them from the light while maintaining magnetic trapping.
We demonstrate experimentally the continuous and pulsed loading of a slow and cold atomic beam into a magnetic guide. The slow beam is produced using a vapor loaded laser trap, which ensures two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping, as well as cooling by a moving molasses along the third direction. It provides a continuous flux larger than 10910^9109 atoms/s with an adjustable mean velocity ranging from 0.3 to 3 m/s, and with longitudinal and transverse temperatures smaller than 100μ100 \mu100μK. Up to 31083 10^83108 atoms/s are injected into the magnetic guide and subsequently guided over a distance of 40 cm.
We report the observation of a very high flux of ultra-cold bosonic chromium atoms in a magnetic guide. The beam is created by operating a magneto-optical trap/moving optical molasses within the magnetic field of the guide. A relative detuning between two pairs of the cooling lasers cools the atoms into a frame moving along the axes of the guide. When the atoms are cooled into a moving frame with a velocity of 6 m s −1 we observe a maximum of the flux of 6 × 10 9 atoms s −1 . For these parameters the transversal temperature of the atoms after a 25 fold increase of the confining magnetic potential is about 1.2 mK. The longitudinal temperature is 400 µK.
Summary form only given. We report optical guiding of cold atoms in a free-propagating far-detuned laser beam. The atoms are initially cooled and collected in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), which typically contains over 10/sup 8/ atoms in a cigar shaped cloud with an aspect ratio of 4. Approximately 20% of these atoms are loaded into a far-detuned optical dipole beam aligned vertically through the MOT. The number loaded is limited primarily by geometrical overlap. Both guided and unguided atoms are launched with a velocity of 1.25 m/s and a temperature of 20 /spl mu/K. The guided beam is focused through a 1 mm aperture, 6 cm above the MOT, which connects the vapour cell to a UHV chamber. Atoms can be launched within the guide without heating and guided into a UHV chamber with 100% efficiency. In continuous operation, the scheme allows extraction of atoms from a MOT without loss of phase space density.
We present an intense source of 87 Rb atoms that has been set up to produce a continuous, slow and cold beam in a magnetic guide. It consists of a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap whose cooling laser power is provided by a master-oscillator tapered-amplifier system. This trap produces an atomic beam with a flux of over 10 10 atoms/s and a mean velocity of 40 m/s. The beam is recaptured by a second trap whose purpose consists in reducing the beam's velocity, in further cooling the atoms and injecting them into the magnetic guide. The article focusses on the first stage of the process described above.
By the moving molasses technique we have extracted laser-cooled cesium atoms in a continuous way directly from an optical molasses. The mean launching velocity is precisely tunable from 1 to 12 m/s. The atomic beam has a flux of $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8} \mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ at 7 m/s and a longitudinal temperature of $70 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K},$ which represents the highest flux and lowest velocity spread obtained so far in a continuous beam of cold atoms. These features makes it well suited for atomic fountains. The atomic flux can be slightly increased in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap operation (+40(+40%).(+40 A simple model accounts for the observed dependence of the flux with the magnetic-field gradient.
We have realized a scheme for continuous loading of a magnetic trap (MT). 52Cr{}^{52}\mathrm{Cr}52Cr atoms are continuously captured and cooled in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Optical pumping to a metastable state decouples atoms from the cooling light. Due to their high magnetic moment $(6 {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}),$ low-field seeking metastable atoms are trapped in the magnetic quadrupole field provided by the MOT. Limited by inelastic collisions between atoms in the MOT and in the MT, we load 108{10}^{8}108 metastable atoms at a rate of 108{10}^{8}108 atoms/s below $100 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ into the MT. Optical repumping after the loading allows us to realize a MT of ground-state chromium atoms.