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Optics Communications

Collimation of a beam of caesium atoms by optical molasses, with resulting reduction in longitudinal beam velocity

Sang Eon Park, Ho Seong Lee, Taeg Yong Kwon, Hyuck Cho

Published May 1, 2001• 7 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.1016/s0030-4018(01)01156-7

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A thermal atomic beam from a cesium oven was slowed down by use of the Hoffnagle modified white-light cooling technique. In addition, the atomic beam was collimated by use of a two-dimensional optical molasses that was installed transverse to the atomic-beam direction. The flux of the atomic beam was 2×1010 atoms/s, an increase of a factor of 16 as a result of the collimation. The mean longitudinal velocity was ∼24.4 m/s, and the rms velocity spread of the slowed atomic beam was ∼1 m/s. Compared with other methods, we found that the Hoffnagle method is suitable for the generation of slow atomic beams to be used in an atomic clock, which requires an ultralow magnetic field environment. This atomic beam was deflected by an angle of 30° by a one-dimensional optical molasses to separate it from laser light and high-velocity atoms.

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Precise angular deflection of thermal atomic beams by light

Mara Goff Prentiss, N. P. Bigelow

In the early 1970s, various researchers showed that the force exerted by light on an atomic beam could deflect the beam. In particular, traveling wave light perpendicular to the beam could be used to impart velocity along the wave vector k of the light.1,2 In these experiments, the angular deflection of an atom depended on the interaction time between the atom and field and thus on the longitudinal velocity of the atoms; consequently, the resulting atomic beam had an increased angular divergence. Other experiments have demonstrated that light could be used to collimate an atomic beam.3 In this experiment we show that a 1-D spontaneous optical molasses nearly perpendicular to an atomic beam can be used to both collimate and angularly deflect an atomic beam, where the deflection is insensitive to longitudinal velocity. In fact, this technique decreases rather than increases the angular divergence of the initial beam. In our experiment we started with a 300°C thermal sodium atomic beam with an angular divergence of ~10 mrad. The light was detuned by Δ ≈ − 20 MHz from the 32S1/2 → 32P3/2 transition in sodium, which corresponds to twice the natural linewidth Γ. Using 1-D molasses formed from counterpropagating light beams of the 1/e waist size of the order of 3 mm, we were able to produce an atomic beam with an ~l-mrad divergence and an angular deflection of >10 mrad. The maximum possible angular deflection θ is of the order.

•May 21, 1990•0 citations
A thermal atomic beam from a cesium oven was slowed down by use of the Hoffnagle modified white-light cooling technique. In addition, the atomic beam was collimated by use of a two-dimensional optical molasses that was installed transverse to the atomic-beam direction. The flux of the atomic beam was 2×1010 atoms/s, an increase of a factor of 16 as a result of the collimation. The mean longitudinal velocity was ∼24.4 m/s, and the rms velocity spread of the slowed atomic beam was ∼1 m/s. Compared with other methods, we found that the Hoffnagle method is suitable for the generation of slow atomic beams to be used in an atomic clock, which requires an ultralow magnetic field environment. This atomic beam was deflected by an angle of 30° by a one-dimensional optical molasses to separate it from laser light and high-velocity atoms.
We investigate optical collimation of an atomic beam using a spectrally broadened white light molasses. We compare this technique with the standard technique using an atomic collimator and find that, under certain conditions, the white light molasses is preferable. Specifically, a white light molasses is suitable for atomic beams with relatively low mean velocities and broad velocity distributions, for example, a beam effusing from a cryogenically cooled reservoir. This result is demonstrated by numerically modeling the atomic trajectories of argon atoms effusing from a cryogenically cooled reservoir. We find that, given sufficient power, a white light molasses captures a larger fraction of atoms when compared to an atomic collimator, and the velocity distribution of the resulting beam is shifted toward slower velocities. Further, an optical molasses is geometrically relatively simple compared to an atomic collimator; therefore, the complexity of the in-vacuum optical arrangement can be significantly reduced.
In the early 1970s, various researchers showed that the force exerted by light on an atomic beam could deflect the beam. In particular, traveling wave light perpendicular to the beam could be used to impart velocity along the wave vector k of the light.1,2 In these experiments, the angular deflection of an atom depended on the interaction time between the atom and field and thus on the longitudinal velocity of the atoms; consequently, the resulting atomic beam had an increased angular divergence. Other experiments have demonstrated that light could be used to collimate an atomic beam.3 In this experiment we show that a 1-D spontaneous optical molasses nearly perpendicular to an atomic beam can be used to both collimate and angularly deflect an atomic beam, where the deflection is insensitive to longitudinal velocity. In fact, this technique decreases rather than increases the angular divergence of the initial beam. In our experiment we started with a 300°C thermal sodium atomic beam with an angular divergence of ~10 mrad. The light was detuned by Δ ≈ − 20 MHz from the 32S1/2 → 32P3/2 transition in sodium, which corresponds to twice the natural linewidth Γ. Using 1-D molasses formed from counterpropagating light beams of the 1/e waist size of the order of 3 mm, we were able to produce an atomic beam with an ~l-mrad divergence and an angular deflection of >10 mrad. The maximum possible angular deflection θ is of the order.