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Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements

A continuous slow atomic beam for a cesium frequency standard

Sang Eon Park, Hyuck Cho, Sung-Hoon Yang, Ho Seong Lee

Published Nov 7, 2002• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

A continuous slow cesium atomic beam was produced from a thermal atomic beam by using a laser-cooling technique. This beam will be used as an atomic source of a frequency standard. The mean longitudinal velocity and the rms velocity width of the slow atoms were approximately 24 m/s and 0.9 m/s, respectively.
DOI
10.1109/cpem.2000.851167

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Conference proceedings - IEEE Instrumentation/Measurement Technology Conference•Dec 17, 2002•0 citations
To achieve a primary frequency standard based on a continuous fountain of laser cooled cesium atoms, we report on the production of a bright, slow and cold continuous atomic beam. Atoms are cooled from a thermal vapor in a 45/spl deg/ laser geometry and launched directly from the optical molasses by the moving molasses technique. The effects of the source fluorescence on the continuous beam (average velocity, temperature and flux) have been observed, and ways to optimize simultaneously the atomic capture and the continuous beam are presented. Flux measurements rise to 2/spl times/10/sup 8/ at/s from a 2D magneto-optical trap at 7 m/s. The initial velocity is easily tunable from 1 to 10 m/s. If the longitudinal temperature is about 70 /spl mu/K, additional transverse cooling even reduces the transverse temperature in one dimension below 30 /spl mu/K. By extrapolating the obtained atomic flux to the continuous fountain under construction, we expect a short-term stability of 7/spl times/10/sup -14//spl tau//sup -1/2/. Other applications of continuous beams of cold atoms are suggested.
A thermal atomic beam from a cesium oven was slowed down by use of the Hoffnagle modified white-light cooling technique. In addition, the atomic beam was collimated by use of a two-dimensional optical molasses that was installed transverse to the atomic-beam direction. The flux of the atomic beam was 2×1010 atoms/s, an increase of a factor of 16 as a result of the collimation. The mean longitudinal velocity was ∼24.4 m/s, and the rms velocity spread of the slowed atomic beam was ∼1 m/s. Compared with other methods, we found that the Hoffnagle method is suitable for the generation of slow atomic beams to be used in an atomic clock, which requires an ultralow magnetic field environment. This atomic beam was deflected by an angle of 30° by a one-dimensional optical molasses to separate it from laser light and high-velocity atoms.
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 built a Zeeman-slower apparatus which produces a slow and cold cesium atomic beam. The atomic beam has a mean velocity in the range 35--120 m/s and a high atomic current of more than $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}$ cold atoms/s. A small longitudinal velocity spread was achieved by optimizing the termination of the slowing process. The measured value of less than 1 m/s is consistent with a numerical simulation of the slowing process. With a magnetic lens and a tilted two-dimensional optical molasses stage, the slow atomic beam is transversely compressed, collimated, and deflected. We achieve a transverse temperature below the Doppler limit. The brilliance of this beam has been determined to be $7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{23}$ atoms ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ ${\mathrm{sr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}.$ By optical pumping the slow atomic beam can be polarized in the outermost magnetic substates ${F=4,m}_{F}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4,$ of the cesium ground state. This brilliant beam is an ideal source for experiments in atom optics and atom lithography.
A cesium frequency standard based on the atomic fountain configuration has the potential of improving the accuracy of primary frequency standard. For the first step toward a realization of slow vertical atomic beam (that is an atomic fountain), we have succeeded to decelerate the horizontal cesium atomic beam by laser cooling with the Zeeman tuning method. Then those slowed atoms are confined with a magneto-optical trap by four laser beams in the tetrahedral configuration. By using these trapped atoms, one can launch them upward with the upstream laser pulses.>