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New Journal of Physics

Transport of cold atoms in a miniature guide

M Key, Wilbert Rooijakkers, Edward A. Hinds

Published Oct 1, 2000• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have developed a waveguide for atoms based on magnetic confinement within a hollow glass fibre. Weak-field-seeking atoms are transported along a central hole and are prevented from hitting the wall by the magnetic field due to four current-carrying wires embedded in the fibre. A 'pinch' coil wound around the fibre plugs the guide at one end with a magnetic field strong enough to reflect the weak-field-seeking atoms. We have demonstrated that all the positivemFsublevels of the85RbF= 3 ground state are guided and have made a movie of the atom dynamics.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/2/1/325

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•Feb 15, 2018•1 citation
We have developed a waveguide for atoms based on magnetic confinement within a hollow glass fibre. Weak-field-seeking atoms are transported along a central hole and are prevented from hitting the wall by the magnetic field due to four current-carrying wires embedded in the fibre. A 'pinch' coil wound around the fibre plugs the guide at one end with a magnetic field strong enough to reflect the weak-field-seeking atoms. We have demonstrated that all the positivemFsublevels of the85RbF= 3 ground state are guided and have made a movie of the atom dynamics.
This thesis presents the first demonstration of a guide for cold atoms based on a miniature structure of four current-carrying wires. The four wires are embedded within a hollow silica fibre. Atoms are guided along the centre of a fifth hole on the axis of the fibre by the Stern-Gerlach force. A vapour cell Magneto Optical Trap (MOT), formed 1 cm above the mouth of the waveguide is the source of cold "8"5Rb atoms. After cooling the atoms to 25 #mu#K in optical molasses they fall under the influence of gravity through a magnetic funnel into the waveguide. After propagating for 2 cm, the atoms are reflected by the field of a small pinch coil wound around the base of the guide. The atoms then travel back up the fibre and out into the funnel, where they can be imaged either in fluorescence or by recapturing in the MOT. A video sequence of atoms falling into the guide and re-emerging after reflection from the pinch coil graphically illustrates the operation of the guide. The coupling efficiency and transverse temperature of the atoms is measured experimentally and in a Monte-Carlo simulation. We find an optimum coupling efficiency of 12% and we measure the spatial extent of the cloud within the fibre to be of order 100 #mu#m. We find good agreement between experimental data and results from the numerical simulation. We have also been able to observe different thresholds for the reflection of different positive m_F levels. In another experiment we are able to trap the atoms in an elongated Ioffe trap for up to two seconds, increasing the distance over which the atoms are guided. We are able to guide the atoms over distances of 40 cm with a loss rate indistinguishable from the free space loss rate. (author)
A cloud of laser-cooled 85Rb atoms is coupled through a magnetic funnel into a miniature waveguide formed by four current-carrying wires embedded in a silica fiber. The atom cloud has a approximately 100 &mgr;m radius within the fiber and propagates over cm distances. We study the coupling, propagation, and transverse distribution of atoms in the fiber, and find good agreement with theory. This prototype demonstrates the feasibility of miniature guides as a tool in the new field of integrated atom optics, leading to single-mode propagation of de Broglie waves and the possible preparation of 1D atom clouds.
We propose a novel method for guiding cold, neutral atoms using static magnetic fields. A theoretical study of the magnetic field produced by a tube consisting of two identical, interwound solenoids carrying equal but opposite currents is presented. This field is almost zero throughout the centre of the tube, but it increases with exponential rapidity as one approaches the walls formed by the current carrying wires. Hence, cold atoms passing through the tube may be reflected by magnetic mirror effects near the walls. Applying this technique to a free-falling cloud of magneto-optically cooled caesium atoms we hope to construct atomic guides to facilitate the manipulation of cold atomic beams.
Summary form only given. Just as optical waveguides play a central role in many aspects of modern optics, from communications to integrated optics, atom waveguides are likely to be an enabling technology for future atom-optics-based science. In particular, well-characterized atom waveguides may make possible inertial and rotation measurements of exquisite sensitivity via large-enclosed-area atom interferometers. The first guides for atoms were based on optical forces, where hollow glass fibers guide light, and the light in turn guides atoms. In this paper we have guided neutral atoms using photolithographically patterned current-carrying wires in two different configurations.
In this thesis I describe experimental work and present data on the guiding of \nRubidium atoms along free-space propagating light beams as well as within hollow \ncore glass fibres, namely photonic crystal fibres. I describe experiments, laser systems \nand vacuum trap assemblies designed to facilitate this guiding. \nThese experiments are intended to aid progression within the field of cold \natom guidance wherein narrow diameter, long distance hollow-fibre guides are a \ncurrent goal. Realisation of these guides could lead to promising applications such as \natom interferometers and spatially accurate, multi-source, atom depositors. \nHerein, guided fluxes are observed in free-space guiding experiments for \ndistances up to 50mm and up to 10GHz red-detuning from resonance. Additionally \nhollow-core, Kagome structured, quasi- and true-photonic crystal fibres are \ncharacterised. Finally a number of detailed fibre-guiding magneto-optic traps are \ndeveloped. \nBoth cold atomic-beams and cold atomic clouds are reliably positioned above \nfibre entrance facets in conjunction with a guiding laser beam coupled into the fibre \ncore. \nIssues regarding optical flux detection outwith fibre confinement appear to \nhave hindered observation of guided atoms. A far more sensitive detection system has \nbeen developed for use in current, ongoing fibre-guide experiments.
We have developed an atom-guiding technique that loads 3×1063\times 10^63×106 cold rubidium atoms into hollow-core optical fibre, an order-of-magnitude larger than previously reported results. This achievement was guided by a physically realistic simulation that led to an experimental loading efficiency of 3%3\%3%, giving a peak optical depth of over 600600600. The loading efficiency was limited only by the geometric overlap of the atom cloud an an optical guide beam, and we have identified techniques that would allows us to exceed this limit. We also present a fast and minimally destructive probing technique that enables us to follow the dynamics of the cold atom cloud as it falls into the fibre - this strengthens the confidence in our detailed model, and enables adjustment of the experiment into an optimal state. We are able to observe the effect of light-assisted cold atom collisions as well as background gas collisions in the fibre. The combination of these observations and physical understanding from the simulation allows us to estimate the ultimate limits to loading cold atoms into hollow-core fibres.