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

Optics Express

Using a pair of rectangular coils in the MOT for the production of cold atom clouds with large optical density

Yen-Wei Lin, Hung-Chih Chou, Prashant Dwivedi, Ying-Cheng Chen, Ite A. Yu

Published Mar 6, 2008• 63 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple method to increase the optical density (OD) of cold atom clouds produced by a magneto-optical trap (MOT). A pair of rectangular anti-Helmholtz coils is used in the MOT to generate the magnetic field that produces the cigar-shaped atom cloud. With 7.2x10(8) (87)Rb atoms in the cigar-type MOT, we achieve an OD of 32 as determined by the slow light measurement and this OD is large enough such that the atom cloud can almost contain the entire Gaussian light pulse. Compared to the conventional MOT under the same trapping conditions, the OD is increased by about 2.7 folds by this simple method. In another MOT setup of the cigar-shaped Cs atom cloud, we achieve an OD of 105 as determined by the absorption spectrum of the |6S(1/2),F = 4>-->/6P(3/2),F' = 5> transition.

DOI
10.1364/oe.16.003753

Related papers

A tube-MOT of cesium atoms for loading microstructures

Mukund Vengalattore, Wilbert Rooijakkers, Tao Deng +2 more

Summary form only given. The magneto-optical trap (MOT) has become the workhorse for many, if not most atom-optics experiments. The traditional MOT uses a pair of coils in anti-Helmholtz configuration to generate a quadrupole field with a typical gradient in the order of 10 Gauss/cm and a typical MOT diameter of 1 mm. In this paper we describe the formation of a surface MOT in a skewed magnetic field, produced by a magnetic laminate.We have imaged the fluorescence of the trapped cloud onto a CCD camera, and made cross sections of the trapped atom cloud.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Nov 13, 2002•0 citations

Planar-Integrated Magneto-Optical Trap

Liang Chen, Chang-Jiang Huang, Xin‐Biao Xu +12 more

The magneto-optical trap (MOT) is an essential tool for collecting and preparing cold atoms with a wide range of applications. We demonstrate a planar-integrated MOT by combining an optical grating chip with a magnetic coil chip. The flat grating chip simplifies the conventional six-beam configuration down to a single laser beam, and the flat coil chip replaces the conventional anti-Helmholtz coils of cylindrical geometry. Up to ${10}^{6}$ cold ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms are trapped by the planar-integrated MOT, with the atom cloud being approximately $6\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mm}$ above the chip surface. This configuration effectively reduces the volume, weight, and complexity of the MOT, bringing benefits to applications including gravimeter, clock, and quantum memory devices.

arXiv:2107.07367•Physical Review Applied•Mar 10, 2022•64 citations

Magnetic coil design for two dimensional magneto optical trap to realization of efficient quantum memory

Vikas Singh Chauhan, Sumit Bhushan, Raghavan K. Easwaran

We have constructed in our laboratory two rectangular shaped current carrying coils in accordance with the parameters used in our design so that they can be put in use in the Two Dimensional Magneto Optical Trap (2D-MOT)to obtain very high value of Optical Depth(OD). The dimensions of the coils are 8cm x 10cm. When put in anti-Helmholtz configuration as required in a 2D-MOT, these coils generate magnetic field such that it becomes zero along a line bisecting the space between the two coils. The magnetic field gradient near the zero magnetic field line is measured to be 3.33 Gauss/cm when the current passing through the coils is 3.5A. We have also made measurements at other values of current and found, as expected, this gradient increases with current. These results match nicely with the estimated values and hence a significant step forward towards the experimental realization of the design proposed by us.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2020•1 citation

Investigation of the benefits and disadvantages of using double-pair anti-Helmholtz coils in BEC-producing MOT setups and optimizing their design

Şenol Tarhan, Gabriel Goetten de Lima

This work has investigated the Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) system used to produce Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). A primary challenge addressed in this study concerns the geometric limitations of traditional single-pair anti-Helmholtz coil configurations, where the magnetic field peaks occur outside the accessible inter-coil region. To overcome this limitation, we have explored the use of double-pair anti-Helmholtz coil configurations that create well-shaped magnetic field potentials centered at the experimentally accessible $z=0$ location. This investigation encompasses the three sequential processes of atom cooling: cooling in a linear external magnetic field through Doppler cooling, cooling in a well-shaped magnetic field through trapping, and evaporative cooling of atoms to achieve sub-microkelvin temperatures. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, we have determined optimal geometric parameters for the coil configuration and operational parameters including laser detuning, saturation intensity, and initial atom populations for ${}^{87}\text{Rb}$ BEC production. The results indicate that with the optimized configuration, the system can achieve final temperatures of approximately $T_f \sim 60\,\mathrm{nK}$ and produce condensate populations of $\sim 10^5$ atoms with a mean density of $n_0 = 4.9 \times 10^{15}\,\mathrm{m}^{-3}$, providing systematic design guidance for experimental BEC systems

physics.atom-phCross-listedarXiv:2512.23874•Dec 31, 2025•0 citations

Construction of a Blue Neutral Cesium-133 Magneto-Optical Trap

Madison Whitmore

The magneto-optical trap (MOT) serves as the culmination of optical cooling and trapping, where by applying a linear magnetic field to orthogonal, circularly polarized, retroreflecting laser beams, one can produce a dense cloud of very cold atoms, on the order of μK. This work set out to create a magneto-optical trap using only visible light with the 6s 2S1/2 → 7p 2P◦ 3/2 transition of cesium-133, which is far weaker than the transition typically employed for a cesium-133 MOT. This transition alone has yet to be used in isolation to create a MOT, and the purpose of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of such a MOT. While the creation of a MOT with the setup produced has thus far been unsuccessful, the components are in place for one to be made as a demonstration of optical cooling and trapping that should be visible to the naked eye. Additionally, an experimental setup was created for high precision measurements of the absolute energies of the 7p 2P◦ 1/2 and 7p 2P◦ 3/2 states. The theory behind the MOT and high precision spectroscopy is expounded upon within.

•May 1, 2025•0 citations

A dark-line two-dimensional magneto-optical trap of 85Rb atoms with high optical depth

Shanchao Zhang, J. F. Chen, Chang Liu +4 more

We describe the apparatus of a dark-line two-dimensional (2D) magneto-optical trap (MOT) of (85)Rb cold atoms with high optical depth (OD). Different from the conventional configuration, two (of three) pairs of trapping laser beams in our 2D MOT setup do not follow the symmetry axes of the quadrupole magnetic field: they are aligned with 45° angles to the longitudinal axis. Two orthogonal repumping laser beams have a dark-line volume in the longitudinal axis at their cross over. With a total trapping laser power of 40 mW and repumping laser power of 18 mW, we obtain an atomic OD up to 160 in an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) scheme, which corresponds to an atomic-density-length product NL = 2.05 × 10(15) m(-2). In a closed two-state system, the OD can become as large as more than 600. Our 2D MOT configuration allows full optical access of the atoms in its longitudinal direction without interfering with the trapping and repumping laser beams spatially. Moreover, the zero magnetic field along the longitudinal axis allows the cold atoms maintain a long ground-state coherence time without switching off the MOT magnetic field, which makes it possible to operate the MOT at a high repetition rate and a high duty cycle. Our 2D MOT is ideal for atomic-ensemble-based quantum optics applications, such as EIT, entangled photon pair generation, optical quantum memory, and quantum information processing.

Review of Scientific Instruments•Jul 1, 2012•81 citations
We demonstrate a simple method to increase the optical density (OD) of cold atom clouds produced by a magneto-optical trap (MOT). A pair of rectangular anti-Helmholtz coils is used in the MOT to generate the magnetic field that produces the cigar-shaped atom cloud. With 7.2x10(8) (87)Rb atoms in the cigar-type MOT, we achieve an OD of 32 as determined by the slow light measurement and this OD is large enough such that the atom cloud can almost contain the entire Gaussian light pulse. Compared to the conventional MOT under the same trapping conditions, the OD is increased by about 2.7 folds by this simple method. In another MOT setup of the cigar-shaped Cs atom cloud, we achieve an OD of 105 as determined by the absorption spectrum of the |6S(1/2),F = 4>-->/6P(3/2),F' = 5> transition.
Summary form only given. The magneto-optical trap (MOT) has become the workhorse for many, if not most atom-optics experiments. The traditional MOT uses a pair of coils in anti-Helmholtz configuration to generate a quadrupole field with a typical gradient in the order of 10 Gauss/cm and a typical MOT diameter of 1 mm. In this paper we describe the formation of a surface MOT in a skewed magnetic field, produced by a magnetic laminate.We have imaged the fluorescence of the trapped cloud onto a CCD camera, and made cross sections of the trapped atom cloud.
The magneto-optical trap (MOT) is an essential tool for collecting and preparing cold atoms with a wide range of applications. We demonstrate a planar-integrated MOT by combining an optical grating chip with a magnetic coil chip. The flat grating chip simplifies the conventional six-beam configuration down to a single laser beam, and the flat coil chip replaces the conventional anti-Helmholtz coils of cylindrical geometry. Up to 106{10}^{6}106 cold 87Rb{}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb atoms are trapped by the planar-integrated MOT, with the atom cloud being approximately 6mm6\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mm}6mm above the chip surface. This configuration effectively reduces the volume, weight, and complexity of the MOT, bringing benefits to applications including gravimeter, clock, and quantum memory devices.
We have constructed in our laboratory two rectangular shaped current carrying coils in accordance with the parameters used in our design so that they can be put in use in the Two Dimensional Magneto Optical Trap (2D-MOT)to obtain very high value of Optical Depth(OD). The dimensions of the coils are 8cm x 10cm. When put in anti-Helmholtz configuration as required in a 2D-MOT, these coils generate magnetic field such that it becomes zero along a line bisecting the space between the two coils. The magnetic field gradient near the zero magnetic field line is measured to be 3.33 Gauss/cm when the current passing through the coils is 3.5A. We have also made measurements at other values of current and found, as expected, this gradient increases with current. These results match nicely with the estimated values and hence a significant step forward towards the experimental realization of the design proposed by us.
This work has investigated the Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) system used to produce Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). A primary challenge addressed in this study concerns the geometric limitations of traditional single-pair anti-Helmholtz coil configurations, where the magnetic field peaks occur outside the accessible inter-coil region. To overcome this limitation, we have explored the use of double-pair anti-Helmholtz coil configurations that create well-shaped magnetic field potentials centered at the experimentally accessible z=0z=0z=0 location. This investigation encompasses the three sequential processes of atom cooling: cooling in a linear external magnetic field through Doppler cooling, cooling in a well-shaped magnetic field through trapping, and evaporative cooling of atoms to achieve sub-microkelvin temperatures. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, we have determined optimal geometric parameters for the coil configuration and operational parameters including laser detuning, saturation intensity, and initial atom populations for 87Rb{}^{87}\text{Rb}87Rb BEC production. The results indicate that with the optimized configuration, the system can achieve final temperatures of approximately Tf∼60 nKT_f \sim 60\,\mathrm{nK}Tf​∼60nK and produce condensate populations of ∼105\sim 10^5∼105 atoms with a mean density of n0=4.9×1015 m−3n_0 = 4.9 \times 10^{15}\,\mathrm{m}^{-3}n0​=4.9×1015m−3, providing systematic design guidance for experimental BEC systems
The magneto-optical trap (MOT) serves as the culmination of optical cooling and trapping, where by applying a linear magnetic field to orthogonal, circularly polarized, retroreflecting laser beams, one can produce a dense cloud of very cold atoms, on the order of μK. This work set out to create a magneto-optical trap using only visible light with the 6s 2S1/2 → 7p 2P◦ 3/2 transition of cesium-133, which is far weaker than the transition typically employed for a cesium-133 MOT. This transition alone has yet to be used in isolation to create a MOT, and the purpose of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of such a MOT. While the creation of a MOT with the setup produced has thus far been unsuccessful, the components are in place for one to be made as a demonstration of optical cooling and trapping that should be visible to the naked eye. Additionally, an experimental setup was created for high precision measurements of the absolute energies of the 7p 2P◦ 1/2 and 7p 2P◦ 3/2 states. The theory behind the MOT and high precision spectroscopy is expounded upon within.
We describe the apparatus of a dark-line two-dimensional (2D) magneto-optical trap (MOT) of (85)Rb cold atoms with high optical depth (OD). Different from the conventional configuration, two (of three) pairs of trapping laser beams in our 2D MOT setup do not follow the symmetry axes of the quadrupole magnetic field: they are aligned with 45° angles to the longitudinal axis. Two orthogonal repumping laser beams have a dark-line volume in the longitudinal axis at their cross over. With a total trapping laser power of 40 mW and repumping laser power of 18 mW, we obtain an atomic OD up to 160 in an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) scheme, which corresponds to an atomic-density-length product NL = 2.05 × 10(15) m(-2). In a closed two-state system, the OD can become as large as more than 600. Our 2D MOT configuration allows full optical access of the atoms in its longitudinal direction without interfering with the trapping and repumping laser beams spatially. Moreover, the zero magnetic field along the longitudinal axis allows the cold atoms maintain a long ground-state coherence time without switching off the MOT magnetic field, which makes it possible to operate the MOT at a high repetition rate and a high duty cycle. Our 2D MOT is ideal for atomic-ensemble-based quantum optics applications, such as EIT, entangled photon pair generation, optical quantum memory, and quantum information processing.