Japanese Journal of Applied Physics
Investigations on the Loading of a Two-Color Vapor-Cell Magneto-Optic Trap for Sodium Atoms
Sérgio Carlos Zílio, J.P. Flemming, Luís Gustavo Marcassa, Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
Abstract
We investigate the loading of a two-color vapor-cell magneto-optical trap for sodium atoms as a function of several operational parameters of the trap. We use two laser frequencies acting in different spatial regions to obtain either enhancement or inhibition of the capture mechanism. We demonstrate that the best enhancement is achieved when the trap operates on a combination of atomic transitions, known as type I tuning, by using a second laser beam to capture atoms through a different combination of transitions (type II tuning).