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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Trap loss collisions of6Li and7Li with23Na in a combined magneto-optical trap

Gerald Auböck, C Binder, L. Holler, Volker Wippel, Klemens Rumpf, J. Szczepkowski, Wolfgang Ernst, Laurentius Windholz

Published Sep 25, 2006• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigated heteronuclear inelastic cold collisions in a mixed-species Li–Na magneto-optical trap, where the Li trap loss from collisions with Na was measured. Experimental results for the rate coefficient β Na Li for the isotopes 6 Li as well as 7 Li as a function of the Li-MOT laser intensity are presented. Furthermore, we discuss some unique characteristics of cold collisions of Na and Li which arise from (1) the very small spin–orbit splitting of Li, (2) the very small C 6 coefficients of the Na(3 2 S) + Li(2 2 P) asymptotes and (3) the very small and inverted hyperfine structure of Li.

DOI
10.1088/0953-4075/39/19/s05

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We investigated heteronuclear inelastic cold collisions in a mixed-species Li–Na magneto-optical trap, where the Li trap loss from collisions with Na was measured. Experimental results for the rate coefficient β Na Li for the isotopes 6 Li as well as 7 Li as a function of the Li-MOT laser intensity are presented. Furthermore, we discuss some unique characteristics of cold collisions of Na and Li which arise from (1) the very small spin–orbit splitting of Li, (2) the very small C 6 coefficients of the Na(3 2 S) + Li(2 2 P) asymptotes and (3) the very small and inverted hyperfine structure of Li.
Trap-loss rates due to hyperfine--structure-changing collisions involving cold Na and K atoms in a mixed species magneto-optical trap have been measured. The investigations were performed in the low intensity regime, where hyperfine--structure-changing collision are believed to be the dominant mechanism for atomic losses. Comparison between homonuclear (Na-Na) and heteronuclear (Na-K) collision rate coefficients reveals a higher loss rate in the case of heteronuclear collisions. Results obtained in the regime of low trap laser intensity are compared with existent loss rates for several alkali metals, showing themselves to be in good agreement with those expected.
We investigate collisional properties of lithium and cesium which are simultaneously confined in a combined magneto-optical trap. Trap-loss collisions between the two species are comprehensively studied. Different inelastic collision channels are identified, and inter-species rate coefficients as well as cross sections are determined. It is found that loss rates are independent of the optical excitation of Li, as a consequence of the repulsive Li∗^*∗-Cs interaction. Li and Cs loss by inelastic inter-species collisions can completely be attributed to processes involving optically excited cesium (fine-structure changing collisions and radiative escape). By lowering the trap depth for Li, an additional loss channel of Li is observed which results from ground-state Li-Cs collisions changing the hyperfine state of cesium.
Storing and cooling simultaneously lithium and sodium atoms in a two-species magneto-optical trap, rate coefficients for collisions between these two atomic species were determined. The experiments were performed at different trap depths, thus for Li atoms the trap losses due to finestructure changing collisions could be distinguished from losses due to radiative escape. The rate coefficient for collisions between sodium and lithium atoms shows also a step when increasing the trap depth. The formation of cold heteronuclear molecules is claimed.
Abstract We report simultaneous cooling and trapping of metastable 84 Kr ( 84 Kr*) and metastable 86 Kr ( 86 Kr*) atoms by overlapping the cooling laser beams for these different isotopes in the same region of a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Approximately 2 × 10 5 atoms of each isotope were trapped in this two isotope-MOT (TIMOT). We have investigated the heteronuclear collision trap loss rates for each isotope due to the presence of cold atoms of other isotope using the TIMOT loading curves. The two body heteronuclear loss rate coefficient (i.e. for the loss of 84 Kr* due to presence of 86 Kr*) and the reciprocal loss rate coefficient (i.e. for the loss of 86 Kr* due to presence of 84 Kr*) are measured to be (8.7 ± 0.8) × 10 −10 cm 3 s −1 and (8.8 ± 0.8) × 10 −10 cm 3 s −1 respectively for laser beam intensity values of 21 mW cm −2 (for cooling of 84 Kr*) and 64 mW cm −2 (for cooling of 86 Kr*). The dependence of heteronuclear cold collision loss rate on cooling laser beams intensity has also been studied and compared with homonuclear cold collision loss rate.
Collisions between ultra-cold (T << 1K) atoms confined in a magneto- optical trap (MOT) may result in the ejection of atoms from the trap. These collisional loss processes, which involve ground state/excited state collisions, fundamentally limit the density attainable in MOT traps. Although accurate calculations of collision rates between ultra-cold atoms require precise knowledge of the molecular potentials over a long range, the loss rate for Li was recently predicted to be significantly less than for the other alkali metals. Motivated by this result, we are measuring the collisional loss rate of Li in a vapor-cell MOT using a red-detuned laser beam to catalyze the collisions, similar to recent experiments using Rb and Cs. We will report our progress to measure the trap loss rate for {sup 6}Li and {sup 7}Li, which will be compared to investigate an isotopic dependence, as was recently observed for Rb.