Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Magneto-optical trapping of Yb atoms using an intercombination transition

T. Kuwamoto, Keita HONDA, Yoshiro Takahashi, T. Yabuzaki

Published Aug 1, 1999• 166 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report the magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms using the ${6s}^{2}{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{-}6s6p{}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination transition. The magneto-optical trap is continuously loaded from an atomic beam decelerated by a Zeeman-tuned atomic-beam slower operated at the ${6s}^{2}{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{-}6s6p{}^{1}{P}_{1}$ transition. Among seven stable isotopes of ytterbium, six isotopes $\mathrm{of}{ }^{170}\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b},$ ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb},$ ${}^{172}\mathrm{Yb},$ ${}^{173}\mathrm{Yb},$ ${}^{174}\mathrm{Yb},$ and ${}^{176}\mathrm{Yb}$ are successfully trapped. The number and density of the trapped atoms are about ${10}^{8}$ and ${10}^{11} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3},$ respectively. The temperature of atoms is estimated to be about $20 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ from the time-of-flight measurement. The decay time of the trapped atoms after stopping the loading of atoms is about 3 s.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.60.r745

Related papers

Magneto-optical trapping of Yb atoms using an intercombination transition

剛 桑本, T. Kuwamoto, 和仁 本多 +5 more

We report the magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms using the 6s2 1S0-6s6p 3P1 intercombination transition. The magneto-optical trap is continuously loaded from an atomic beam decelerated by a Zeeman-tuned atomic-beam slower operated at the 6s2 1S0-6s6p 1P1 transition. Among seven stable isotopes of ytterbium, six isotopes of 170Yb, 171Yb, 172Yb, 173Yb, 174Yb, and 176Yb are successfully trapped. The number and density of the trapped atoms are about 108 and 1011 cm-3, respectively. The temperature of atoms is estimated to be about 20 μK from the time-of-flight measurement. The decay time of the trapped atoms after stopping the loading of atoms is about 3 s.

•Aug 1, 1999•0 citations

Magneto-Optical Trapping of Ytterbium Atoms with a 398.9 nm Laser

Zhao Peng-Yi, Xiong Zhuan-Xian, Jie Liang +2 more

We report the realization of ytterbium magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating on the dipole-allowed 1 S 0 — 1 P 1 transition at 398.9 nm. The MOT is loaded by a slowed atomic beam produced by a Zeeman slower. All seven stable isotopes of Yb atoms could be trapped separately at different laser detuning values. Over 10 7 174 Yb atoms are collected in the MOT, whereas the atom number of fermionic isotope 171 Yb is roughly 2.3 × 10 6 due to a lower abundance. Without the Zeeman slower, the trapped atom numbers are one order of magnitude lower. Both the even and odd isotopes are recognized as excellent candidates of optical clock transition, so the cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms by the blue MOT is an important step for building an optical clock.

Chinese Physics Letters•Oct 1, 2008•16 citations

Realization of Green MOT for Ytterbium Atoms

Zhao Peng-Yii, Xiong Zhuan-Xian, Yun Long +2 more

We report the experimental realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of 174 Yb atoms operating on the 1 So− 3 P 1 intercombination transition at 555.8 nm. The green MOT is loaded by a Zeeman-slowed atomic beam. In order to increase the capture velocity of the MOT, we use the trapping laser beams consisting of five discrete frequency components obtained by modulating the laser light through an electro-optic modulator. The trapped atomic number of the 174 Yb isotope is about 6.2 × 10 5 , and the temperature of the cold atomic cloud is estimated to be about 100 μK. The success of the green MOT is an important step towards the goal of an ytterbium optical clock.

Chinese Physics Letters•Aug 1, 2009•12 citations

Simultaneous multi-isotope trapping of ytterbium

Thomas H. Loftus, Jason R. Bochinski, THOMAS W. MOSSBERG

Working with ytterbium (Yb), we demonstrate dual-isotope magneto-optic traps of extreme experimental simplicity yet containing either fermion-boson or boson-boson isotope pairs. Pairs studied include ${}^{171}{\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b}+}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}$ (a fermion-boson mixture) and ${}^{176}{\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b}+}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ and ${}^{174}{\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b}+}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}$ (boson-boson mixtures). Trapping is performed using the Yb ${(6s}^{2}{)}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}(6s6p)}^{1}{P}_{1}$ transition, an uncooled thermal source, and bichromatic trapping beams. Static and dynamic properties of the composite cloud are conveniently probed on the spin-forbidden ${(6s}^{2}{)}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}(6s6p)}^{3}{P}_{1}$ transition. A unique strategy for continuously loading these samples into magnetic traps is described.

Physical Review A•Apr 10, 2001•30 citations

Investigation of sub-Doppler cooling in an ytterbium magneto-optical trap

Reina H. Maruyama, R. H. Wynar, Michael V. Romalis +4 more

We report experimental evidence of Sisyphus cooling in atoms with a ${}^{1}{S}_{0}$ ground state. Since $J=0,$ any cooling mechanism which requires multiple sublevels can only occur in the isotopes which have nuclear spin $I\ensuremath{\ne}0.$ Ytterbium has seven stable isotopes and offers a unique system in which we can study cooling on $F=\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{0}1$ ${(}^{168,170,172,174,176}\mathrm{Yb}),$ $F=1/\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{2}3/2$ ${(}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}),$ and $F=5/\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{2}7/2$ ${(}^{173}\mathrm{Yb}),$ depending on the selection of isotope. We have trapped each of the seven stable isotopes of ytterbium in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) using the strong ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{1}{P}_{1}$ transition, and transferred them into a second MOT which uses the much narrower ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination transition. We have measured the temperature of isotopes ${}^{171}\mathrm{Yb},$ ${}^{173}\mathrm{Yb},$ and ${}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ in the ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{3}{P}_{1}$ MOT, as a function of the intensity and detuning of the trapping laser. The temperature of ${}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ was found to increase more rapidly with intensity than predicted by Doppler cooling theory, in agreement with earlier work on alkaline-earth atoms. In the odd isotopes the temperature was found to decrease with increasing angular momentum, as observed in earlier experiments and three-dimensional simulations.

Physical Review A•Jul 25, 2003•75 citations

Two-color ytterbium magneto-optical trap in a compact dual-chamber setup

Xin Wang, Thilina Muthu-Arachchige, Tangi Legrand +4 more

We present an experimental scheme for producing ultracold ytterbium atoms in a compact dual-chamber setup. A dispenser-loaded two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT) using permanent magnets and operating on the broad ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{1}{P}_{1}$ singlet transition delivers over ${10}^{7}$ atoms per second through a differential pumping stage into a three-dimensional MOT. The two-color three-dimensional MOT uses the broad singlet transition to accumulate $\ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms of ${}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ within 2.5 s and subsequently the narrow ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination line to cool the atomic cloud to below 10 \textmu{}K. We report optimized parameters for each stage of the atom collection sequence, achieving high transfer efficiency. We find that shelving into the triplet state during the broad-transition MOT almost doubles the number of trapped atoms.

arXiv:2408.03310•Physical Review Applied•Jan 3, 2025•4 citations
We report the magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms using the 6s21S0\ensuremath−6s6p3P1{6s}^{2}{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{-}6s6p{}^{3}{P}_{1}6s21S0​\ensuremath−6s6p3P1​ intercombination transition. The magneto-optical trap is continuously loaded from an atomic beam decelerated by a Zeeman-tuned atomic-beam slower operated at the 6s21S0\ensuremath−6s6p1P1{6s}^{2}{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{-}6s6p{}^{1}{P}_{1}6s21S0​\ensuremath−6s6p1P1​ transition. Among seven stable isotopes of ytterbium, six isotopes of170Yb,\mathrm{of}{ }^{170}\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b},of170Yb, 171Yb,{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb},171Yb, 172Yb,{}^{172}\mathrm{Yb},172Yb, 173Yb,{}^{173}\mathrm{Yb},173Yb, 174Yb,{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb},174Yb, and 176Yb{}^{176}\mathrm{Yb}176Yb are successfully trapped. The number and density of the trapped atoms are about 108{10}^{8}108 and 1011cm\ensuremath−3,{10}^{11} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3},1011cm\ensuremath−3, respectively. The temperature of atoms is estimated to be about 20\ensuremathμK20 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}20\ensuremathμK from the time-of-flight measurement. The decay time of the trapped atoms after stopping the loading of atoms is about 3 s.
We report the magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms using the 6s2 1S0-6s6p 3P1 intercombination transition. The magneto-optical trap is continuously loaded from an atomic beam decelerated by a Zeeman-tuned atomic-beam slower operated at the 6s2 1S0-6s6p 1P1 transition. Among seven stable isotopes of ytterbium, six isotopes of 170Yb, 171Yb, 172Yb, 173Yb, 174Yb, and 176Yb are successfully trapped. The number and density of the trapped atoms are about 108 and 1011 cm-3, respectively. The temperature of atoms is estimated to be about 20 μK from the time-of-flight measurement. The decay time of the trapped atoms after stopping the loading of atoms is about 3 s.
We report the realization of ytterbium magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating on the dipole-allowed 1 S 0 — 1 P 1 transition at 398.9 nm. The MOT is loaded by a slowed atomic beam produced by a Zeeman slower. All seven stable isotopes of Yb atoms could be trapped separately at different laser detuning values. Over 10 7 174 Yb atoms are collected in the MOT, whereas the atom number of fermionic isotope 171 Yb is roughly 2.3 × 10 6 due to a lower abundance. Without the Zeeman slower, the trapped atom numbers are one order of magnitude lower. Both the even and odd isotopes are recognized as excellent candidates of optical clock transition, so the cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms by the blue MOT is an important step for building an optical clock.
We report the experimental realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of 174 Yb atoms operating on the 1 So− 3 P 1 intercombination transition at 555.8 nm. The green MOT is loaded by a Zeeman-slowed atomic beam. In order to increase the capture velocity of the MOT, we use the trapping laser beams consisting of five discrete frequency components obtained by modulating the laser light through an electro-optic modulator. The trapped atomic number of the 174 Yb isotope is about 6.2 × 10 5 , and the temperature of the cold atomic cloud is estimated to be about 100 μK. The success of the green MOT is an important step towards the goal of an ytterbium optical clock.
Working with ytterbium (Yb), we demonstrate dual-isotope magneto-optic traps of extreme experimental simplicity yet containing either fermion-boson or boson-boson isotope pairs. Pairs studied include 171Yb+172Yb{}^{171}{\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b}+}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}171Yb+172Yb (a fermion-boson mixture) and 176Yb+174Yb{}^{176}{\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b}+}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}176Yb+174Yb and 174Yb+172Yb{}^{174}{\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b}+}^{172}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb+172Yb (boson-boson mixtures). Trapping is performed using the Yb ${(6s}^{2}{)}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}(6s6p)}^{1}{P}_{1}$ transition, an uncooled thermal source, and bichromatic trapping beams. Static and dynamic properties of the composite cloud are conveniently probed on the spin-forbidden ${(6s}^{2}{)}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}(6s6p)}^{3}{P}_{1}$ transition. A unique strategy for continuously loading these samples into magnetic traps is described.
We report experimental evidence of Sisyphus cooling in atoms with a 1S0{}^{1}{S}_{0}1S0​ ground state. Since J=0,J=0,J=0, any cooling mechanism which requires multiple sublevels can only occur in the isotopes which have nuclear spin $I\ensuremath{\ne}0.$ Ytterbium has seven stable isotopes and offers a unique system in which we can study cooling on $F=\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{0}1$ (168,170,172,174,176Yb),{(}^{168,170,172,174,176}\mathrm{Yb}),(168,170,172,174,176Yb), $F=1/\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{2}3/2$ (171Yb),{(}^{171}\mathrm{Yb}),(171Yb), and $F=5/\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{2}7/2$ (173Yb),{(}^{173}\mathrm{Yb}),(173Yb), depending on the selection of isotope. We have trapped each of the seven stable isotopes of ytterbium in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) using the strong ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{1}{P}_{1}$ transition, and transferred them into a second MOT which uses the much narrower ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination transition. We have measured the temperature of isotopes 171Yb,{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb},171Yb, 173Yb,{}^{173}\mathrm{Yb},173Yb, and 174Yb{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb in the ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{3}{P}_{1}$ MOT, as a function of the intensity and detuning of the trapping laser. The temperature of 174Yb{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb was found to increase more rapidly with intensity than predicted by Doppler cooling theory, in agreement with earlier work on alkaline-earth atoms. In the odd isotopes the temperature was found to decrease with increasing angular momentum, as observed in earlier experiments and three-dimensional simulations.
We present an experimental scheme for producing ultracold ytterbium atoms in a compact dual-chamber setup. A dispenser-loaded two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT) using permanent magnets and operating on the broad ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{1}{P}_{1}$ singlet transition delivers over 107{10}^{7}107 atoms per second through a differential pumping stage into a three-dimensional MOT. The two-color three-dimensional MOT uses the broad singlet transition to accumulate $\ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms of 174Yb{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb within 2.5 s and subsequently the narrow ${}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination line to cool the atomic cloud to below 10 \textmu{}K. We report optimized parameters for each stage of the atom collection sequence, achieving high transfer efficiency. We find that shelving into the triplet state during the broad-transition MOT almost doubles the number of trapped atoms.