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The European Physical Journal Applied Physics

A novel simplified two-dimensional magneto-optical trap as an intense source of slow cesium atoms

N. Castagna, Jocelyne Guéna, Mark D. Plimmer, P. Thomann

Published Apr 1, 2006• 23 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe the design and performance of a slow atom source based on a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT) that uses an innovative simple optical configuration. Metal-coated retro-reflecting prisms replace mirrors and quarter-wave plates so the optical power of the cooling laser beam is recycled. This source has been characterised for three different configurations: with and without transverse magnetic field gradient, and with a pusher beam to obtain a 2D+-MOT. The longitudinal velocity is of the order of 25 m·s−1, with a transverse velocity spread ≤1 m·s−1, while the typical atomic flux density obtained is up to 1.3×1014 at ·s−1·m−2 for a cesium vapour pressure of ~4×10−8 mbar in the source. We use this slow atom beam, instead of cesium vapour, to load a 3D moving optical molasses that feeds a continuous cold atom fountain. We obtain a gain of a factor ~20 in the atomic flux launched by the fountain.

DOI
10.1051/epjap:2006037

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We present a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT) that uses an innovative simple optical configuration. Instead of mirrors and quarter-wave plates we use metal-coated retro-reflecting prisms so as to recycle the optical power of the cooling laser beam. We have characterised this source for three different configurations: with and without transverse magnetic field gradient, as well as with a pusher beam to produce a 2D+-MOT. The longitudinal velocity is about 25 m·s-1, with a transverse velocity spread ≤ 1 m·s-1, while the typical atomic flux density can be as much as 1.3×1014 at·s-1·m-2 for a cesium vapour pressure of ~4×10-8 mbar in the source. We use this low velocity atomic beam, instead of thermal vapour, to load a 3D moving optical molasses that launches a continuous cold cesium fountain. We achieve a gain of a factor ~ 20 in the fountain's atomic flux.

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We experimentally study the use of two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping (2D-MOT) for the generation of slow beams of cold atoms out of a vapor cell. A particularly high flux of $9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ rubidium atoms/s at a mean velocity of 8 m/s is obtained using a combination of magneto-optical trapping in two dimensions and Doppler cooling in the third dimension $({2\mathrm{D}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{MOT}).$ The resulting width of the velocity distribution is 3.3 m/s [full width at half maximum (FWHM)] with a beam divergence of 43 mrad (FWHM). We investigate the total flux as a function of vapor cell pressure and determine the velocity distribution of our slow atom sources. For comparison, we also realized a low-velocity intense source (LVIS), first reported by Lu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3331 (1996)]. We find that the ${2\mathrm{D}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{MOT}$ yields a significantly higher flux than the LVIS, even when used with an order of magnitude less laser power.

Physical Review A•Nov 1, 1998•306 citations
We describe the design and performance of a slow atom source based on a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT) that uses an innovative simple optical configuration. Metal-coated retro-reflecting prisms replace mirrors and quarter-wave plates so the optical power of the cooling laser beam is recycled. This source has been characterised for three different configurations: with and without transverse magnetic field gradient, and with a pusher beam to obtain a 2D+-MOT. The longitudinal velocity is of the order of 25 m·s−1, with a transverse velocity spread ≤1 m·s−1, while the typical atomic flux density obtained is up to 1.3×1014 at ·s−1·m−2 for a cesium vapour pressure of ~4×10−8 mbar in the source. We use this slow atom beam, instead of cesium vapour, to load a 3D moving optical molasses that feeds a continuous cold atom fountain. We obtain a gain of a factor ~20 in the atomic flux launched by the fountain.
We present a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT) that uses an innovative simple optical configuration. Instead of mirrors and quarter-wave plates we use metal-coated retro-reflecting prisms so as to recycle the optical power of the cooling laser beam. We have characterised this source for three different configurations: with and without transverse magnetic field gradient, as well as with a pusher beam to produce a 2D+-MOT. The longitudinal velocity is about 25 m·s-1, with a transverse velocity spread ≤ 1 m·s-1, while the typical atomic flux density can be as much as 1.3×1014 at·s-1·m-2 for a cesium vapour pressure of ~4×10-8 mbar in the source. We use this low velocity atomic beam, instead of thermal vapour, to load a 3D moving optical molasses that launches a continuous cold cesium fountain. We achieve a gain of a factor ~ 20 in the fountain's atomic flux.
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.
A beam source is proposed for the production of an intense cold cesium atomic beam that can be used in cesium beam atomic clocks. The source is based on a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D-MOT), but introduces hollow cooling and pushing lights in the axial direction to create a 2D+-MOT, which separates the cooling and pushing functions while the low-power pushing light pushes atoms out to form a cold atomic beam. This cold cesium atomic beam source reduces the light shift due to leakage light and retains longitudinal cooling to increase the flux of the cold atomic beam compared with that of the conventional 2D+-MOT scheme. The specifics of the design are investigated, the atomic velocity and beam flux are calculated, and the results are experimentally verified. The results demonstrate that when the power of the pushing light is 180 µW and when its frequency resonates with the 4 → 5′ transition of the Cs D2 line, the most probable longitudinal velocity of the outgoing cold atomic beam, the width of velocity distribution, and the atomic beam flux are 19.38 m/s, 8.1 m/s, and 1.7 × 1010 atoms/s, respectively.
We report our studies on an intense source of cold cesium atoms based on a two-dimensional(2D) magneto–optical trap(MOT) with independent axial cooling and pushing.The new-designed source,proposed as 2D-HP MOT,uses hollow laser beams for axial cooling and a thin pushing laser beam to extract a cold atomic beam.With the independent pushing beam,the atomic flux can be substantially optimized.The total atomic flux maximum obtained in the 2D-HP MOT is4.02 × 1010atoms/s,increased by 60 percent compared to the traditional 2D+MOT in our experiment.Moreover,with the pushing power 10 μW and detuning 0Γ,the 2D-HP MOT can generate a rather intense atomic beam with the concomitant light shift suppressed by a factor of 20.The axial velocity distribution of the cold cesium beams centers at 6.8 m/s with an FMHW of about 2.8 m/s.The dependences of the atomic flux on the pushing power and detuning are studied in detail.The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical model.
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.
We experimentally study the use of two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping (2D-MOT) for the generation of slow beams of cold atoms out of a vapor cell. A particularly high flux of $9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ rubidium atoms/s at a mean velocity of 8 m/s is obtained using a combination of magneto-optical trapping in two dimensions and Doppler cooling in the third dimension $({2\mathrm{D}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{MOT}).$ The resulting width of the velocity distribution is 3.3 m/s [full width at half maximum (FWHM)] with a beam divergence of 43 mrad (FWHM). We investigate the total flux as a function of vapor cell pressure and determine the velocity distribution of our slow atom sources. For comparison, we also realized a low-velocity intense source (LVIS), first reported by Lu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 3331 (1996)]. We find that the ${2\mathrm{D}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{MOT}$ yields a significantly higher flux than the LVIS, even when used with an order of magnitude less laser power.