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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

All optical guiding and splitting of a cold atomic beam

D. P. Rhodes, J. Livesey, Gavin P. T. Lancaster, Jochen Arlt, Kishan Dholakia

Published Jun 25, 2003• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Summary form only given. The widespread use of magneto-optical traps (MOT) and the development of BEC over the last 10 years have led to the field of atom optics. This field requires the use of equivalent elements to optical mirrors, lenses and beam splitters. The generation of a large deviation atomic beam splitter is one of the most important goals, as it allows the construction of atom interferometers. Optical methods for achieving these elements are enticing, as the use of laser beams would make it easier to alter parameters of your guides within a vacuum chamber. Recent work has demonstrated the use of optical beams to guide and split atoms from a cold atom source. Here we present novel experimental studies of the optical guiding (in both the red- and blue-detuned regime) of a low-velocity intense source (LVIS) of atoms emanating from a rubidium MOT.

DOI
10.1109/qels.2002.1031142

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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jan 20, 2003•0 citations
Summary form only given. The widespread use of magneto-optical traps (MOT) and the development of BEC over the last 10 years have led to the field of atom optics. This field requires the use of equivalent elements to optical mirrors, lenses and beam splitters. The generation of a large deviation atomic beam splitter is one of the most important goals, as it allows the construction of atom interferometers. Optical methods for achieving these elements are enticing, as the use of laser beams would make it easier to alter parameters of your guides within a vacuum chamber. Recent work has demonstrated the use of optical beams to guide and split atoms from a cold atom source. Here we present novel experimental studies of the optical guiding (in both the red- and blue-detuned regime) of a low-velocity intense source (LVIS) of atoms emanating from a rubidium MOT.
This thesis is concerned with the guiding of cold atoms using optical forces, which is of great importance in the field of atom optics. Atomic beams can be used for precision sensor equipment, building nano-scale structures, construction of quantum computers and to further the understanding of the properties of atoms. Atoms are guided along light beams using the dipole force; there are two regimes under which this force works. Typically red-detuned guides are used (atoms are attracted towards the light) such guides, however, require large detuning and high powers. In this thesis we investigate the use of blue-detuned (atoms are repelled from the light) hollow light beams of moderate power (a few hundred mW) and confine atoms in the dark centre of the beams. Several magneto-optical traps (MOTs) have been constructed to exploit different guiding geometries. Hollow beams have been generated using a variety of methods; in particular the use of a computer controlled spatial light modulator (SLM) has provided great versatility and simplicity to the experimental arrangements. First, experiments were performed with a low-velocity intense source (LVIS) of atoms. A co-linear LG beam significantly enhances the observed flux, however, considerable difficulties are encountered loading atoms into oblique guides. Imaging a hole in the walls of the light tube was used to improve the loading efficiency. Second, guiding a free-falling atom cloud is performed using a non-diffracting Bessel beam. It is found that while the potential of the Bessel beam is steeper than equivalent LG beams the power distribution across the beam severely limits its usefulness. The next study investigated higher-order LG guide beams generated with an SLM. High order modes have a narrower profile so confine the atoms with less interaction with the guide beam, leading to a more natural guide (as opposed to a pushing force). Finally the SLM was used to create non-trivial beam shapes for beam splitters and interferometers.
We produced a slow atomic beam of rubidium with a low-velocity intense source (LVIS) and loaded a magneto-optical trap (MOT) in a connected chamber with the beam. The hole for the atomic beam allowed us to keep the MOT chamber at a much lower pressure than that of the LVIS. The LVIS produced an atomic beam with a continuous flux of (4.3±0.4)×109/s and an average velocity of only 11±3 m/s. The MOT captured the atoms with 67±15% efficiency, which was limited by the atomic-beam divergence. The MOT held 6×109 atoms with a typical trap-confinement time of 8 s.
We transfer cold 87 Rb atoms from a vapour cell chamber to a spatially separated UHV magneto-optical trap (MOT) with the assistance of a red-detuned optical guiding beam and a normal push beam. Efficient optical guiding of the cold atoms is observed within a small detuning window. A pulsed optical guiding beam enhances the transfer efficiency and hence allows us to collect more atoms in UHV MOT in a shorter time, which is favourable for our experiment of achieving Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC). Besides the easy operation, another advantage of this optical guiding technique is also demonstrated such that slower atomic beams may be efficiently transferred along horizontal direction. This study is a direct application of the optical guiding technique as a powerful tool.
Summary form only given. Extracting cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) has been the subject of central interest in recent years. This has seen the emergence of the area of atom guiding along hollow core optical fibers and also along light beams. The guiding and the extraction of cold atoms is of central importance in generating bright, high flux atomic sources for various experiments in atom optics. In this paper we describe and experimentally realize a scheme for extracting cold atoms directly from a magnetooptical trap along a Laguerre-Gaussian light beam.
\nA beam-splitter for cold atoms is realised with two dipole guides which intersect. Each guide is created by an intense laser beam produced by a Nd:YAG laser. The cold atom cloud, introduced in one guide via the gravity field, is split into two parts when it passes through the intersection region of the guides. The laser frequency is so far detuned from the rubidium atomic resonance that guiding and splitting are obtained without any losses. The coupling in the guide intersection is strong enough to realise an output angle of 7° and an efficiency of 40%. With the beam-splitter a macroscopic separation of the atomic packets larger than one millimetre is demonstrated at a distance of about 5 mm after the intersection. Furthermore the split atomic clouds are guided in each arm of the beam-splitter. Details about the guides (realisation and performance) and an application using a concave atomic mirror are also given in order to describe the beam-splitter and its use.\n
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.