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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Modification of the temperature of trapped cold 87Rb atoms by an ionizing process

Ya-Ping Ruan, Feng-Dong Jia, Zhen Sun, Ping Xue, Xiang-Yuan Xu, Xing-Can Dai, Zhi-Ping Zhong

Published Apr 10, 2014• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The temperature of the remaining trapped 87 Rb atoms gradually decreases as the intensity of the ionizing lasers increases. And the relationship between the temperture and atom number of the remaining 87 Rb atoms follows an exponential law. This is mainly due to that the photoionized atoms in the state of 5 2 P 3/2 have higher velocity caused by the detuning of cooling laser, and they escape from the trap after becoming ions. In addition, ion-atom interaction may play a role at a higher ion density.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/488/12/122007

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The temperature of the remaining trapped 87 Rb atoms gradually decreases as the intensity of the ionizing lasers increases. And the relationship between the temperture and atom number of the remaining 87 Rb atoms follows an exponential law. This is mainly due to that the photoionized atoms in the state of 5 2 P 3/2 have higher velocity caused by the detuning of cooling laser, and they escape from the trap after becoming ions. In addition, ion-atom interaction may play a role at a higher ion density.
The temperature of the remaining cold 87 Rb atoms confined in a vapor cell magneto-optical trap after two-step photoionization has been measured. In the two-step photoionization process, the first excitation laser is served by the cooling laser and the second excitation laser is served by a continuous semiconductor laser with a wavelength of 450 nm. The results show that the temperature of the remaining cold atoms decreases as the intensity of the second excitation laser increases. Moreover, the relationship between the temperature T and number N of the remaining cold atoms generally follows a power law, while it deviates from the well-known T ∝ N 1/3 and the power factor is smaller than 1/3. We propose that ion-atom collisions occurring during a photoionization process strongly influence the temperature scaling law in an optically dense magneto-optical trap in the presence of an ionization laser. In addition, the forced evaporative cooling due to the combined effect of the detuning of the first excitation laser and the two-step photoionization plays a role in cooling the remaining cold atoms and results in the dependence of the power factor on the detuning of the first excitation laser.
Evolution of the number and temperature of the remaining cold atoms in CW-laser photoionization of laser-cooled 87^{87}87Rb atoms
Based on the Rb+^++-Rb hybrid trap, we investigate the effect of ion-atom elastic collisions on the number and temperature of the remaining atoms. We measured the remaining atomic number and temperature as a function of the wavelength and intensity of the ionization laser, and whether the ion trap was turned on. Fittings with a single exponential decay function plus an offset to the number and radius of the remaining atoms are found to be in good agreement. We found a difference in the exponential factor of different wavelengths of ionization laser with the ion trap on or off. We suppose that the presence of electrons affects ion-atom collisions through disorder-induced heating. Our research contributes to a better understanding of how ultracold neutral plasma evolves, particularly the subsequent kinetics of atomic processes, which also serves as a useful reference for high-energy-density plasma.
Photoionization of a cold atomic sample offers intriguing possibilities for observing collective effects at extremely low temperatures. Irradiation of a rubidium condensate and of cold rubidium atoms within a magneto-optical trap (MOT) with laser pulses ionizing through one-photon and two-photon absorption processes was performed. Losses and modifications in the density profile of the remaining trapped cold cloud or the remaining condensate sample were examined as functions of the ionizing laser parameters. Ionization cross sections were measured for atoms in a MOT, while in magnetic traps losses larger than those expected for ionization process were measured.
The recent development of laser cooling and trapping techniques has made possible the controlled realization of dense and cold atomic samples, thus opening the way for spectroscopic investigations in the low and ultra-low temperature regimes not accessible with conventional techniques. In our lab, an apparatus for laser cooling and Bose-Einstein condensation of rubidium atoms is in operation, producing a sample large enough to perform reliable investigations by absorption or emission techniques. Moving from previous photoionization experiments of laser-cooled atoms in a magneto-optical trap irradiated by cw-laser radiation [1] and stimulated by the interest grown recently on ultra-cold plasma [2], we have started a series of experiments aimed at investigating the interaction of intense laser pulses with the ultra-cold neutral sample, boty aboeand below the condensation temperature. Radiation from an excimer-pumped dye laser was used at a wavelength close to 594 nm, corresponding to the ionization threshold of rubidium for two photon non-resonant absorption from the ground state, with intensities in the tens of MW/cm^2 range and a pulse duration of 16 ns. Preliminary results, attained through the dynamical analysis (atom number, temperature) of the cold atom sample after the arrival of the laser pulse, suggest the occurrence of different processes, initiated by multi-photon ionization, involving collisions between cold electrons and ultra-cold neutrals, recombination at low temperatures and collective processes in the weak and cold plasma. Interpretation of those results demonstrates that this class of experiments, based on a variety of topics typical of atomic, plasma and statistical physics, can open the way for novel and intriguing investigations of laser-matter interaction. Further experimental developments will include duplication of the laser pulse frequency and one photon ionization of ground state rubidium laser-cooled atoms. [1] O. Maragò et al., Phys. Rev. A 57 R4110 (1998); E., Arimondo et al., Appl. Surf. Sci. 154-155 527 (2000); F. Fuso et al., Opt. Commun. 173 223 (2000). [2] T.C. Killian et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 4776 (1999); S. Kulin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 318 (2000).
The authors have used laser cooling and trapping techniques to investigate photoionization and cold collisions. With laser-trapped Rb, they have measured the photoionization cross section from the first excited (5P) level by observing the photoionization-induced loss rate of neutral atoms from the trap. This technique has the advantage that it directly measures the photoionization rate per atom. Knowing the ionizing laser intensity and the excited-state fraction, the measured loss rate gives the absolute cross section. Using this technique, the Rb 5P photoionization cross section at {approximately}400 nm has been determined with an uncertainty of 9%. The authors are currently attempting to extend this method to the 5D level. Using time-ordered pulses of diode-laser light (similar to the STIRAP technique), they have performed very efficient two-photon excitation of trapped Rb atoms to 5D. Finally, they will present results from a recent collaboration which combines measurements form conventional molecular spectroscopy (single photon and double resonance) with photoassociation collisions of ultracold Na atoms to yield a precise ({le}1 ppm) value for the dissociation energy of the X {Sigma}{sub g}{sub +} ground state of the Na{sub 2} molecule.