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Physical Review A

Manipulation of cold atoms using a corrugated magnetic reflector

P. Rosenbusch, B. V. Hall, Ifan G. Hughes, C. V. Saba, Edward A. Hinds

Published Feb 11, 2000• 34 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A corrugated magnetic reflector is realized by adding a bias field to a static magnetic mirror. This permits real-time manipulation of a cold-atom cloud on time scales down to 100 \ensuremath{\mu}s. We show that rotation of the bias field generates a traveling corrugation of adjustable depth and velocity. Momentum is transferred from the traveling wave to the atoms, resulting in a displacement of the cloud that depends on the wave velocity. This is a step towards a new method of manipulation in which neutral atoms could be transported across the surface by surfing along the moving wave.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.61.031404

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A corrugated magnetic reflector is realized by adding a bias field to a static magnetic mirror. This permits real-time manipulation of a cold-atom cloud on time scales down to 100 \ensuremath{\mu}s. We show that rotation of the bias field generates a traveling corrugation of adjustable depth and velocity. Momentum is transferred from the traveling wave to the atoms, resulting in a displacement of the cloud that depends on the wave velocity. This is a step towards a new method of manipulation in which neutral atoms could be transported across the surface by surfing along the moving wave.
The spatial profile of ultracold atoms reflecting from an exponentially decaying magnetic potential depends on parameters such as the corrugation in the magnetic potential and the temperature of the atomic cloud. We report on experimental investigations of the effect of projection velocity which determines the strength of the interaction of the atom cloud with the magnetic potential and the effect of temperature of ultracold 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb atoms reflecting from a periodic one-dimensional corrugated magnetic potential. The magnetic potential is generated on an atom chip by a periodic permanent magnetic structure of period 10 $\ensuremath{\mu}$m. The amplitude of the corrugation is controlled by applying a uniform external-bias magnetic field.
For the last decade it has been possible to cool atoms to microkelvin temperatures (~1 cm s -1 ) using a variety of optical techniques. Light beams provide the very strong frictional forces required to slow atoms from room temperature (~500 m s -1 ). However, once the atoms are cold, the relatively weak conservative forces of static electric and magnetic fields play an important role. In our group we have been studying the interaction of cold rubidium atoms with periodically magnetized data storage media. Here we review the underlying principles of the forces acting on atoms above a suitably magnetized substrate or near current-carrying wires. We also summarize the status of experiments. These structures can be used as smooth or corrugated reflectors for controlling the trajectories of cold atoms. Alternatively, they may be used to confine atoms to a plane, a line, or a dot and in some cases to reach the quantum limit of confinement. Atoms levitated above a magnetized surface can be guided electrostatically by wires deposited on the surface. The flow and interaction of atoms in such a structure may form the basis of a new technology, `integrated atom optics' which might ultimately be capable of realizing a quantum computer.
We propose a novel method for guiding cold, neutral atoms using static magnetic fields. A theoretical study of the magnetic field produced by a tube consisting of two identical, interwound solenoids carrying equal but opposite currents is presented. This field is almost zero throughout the centre of the tube, but it increases with exponential rapidity as one approaches the walls formed by the current carrying wires. Hence, cold atoms passing through the tube may be reflected by magnetic mirror effects near the walls. Applying this technique to a free-falling cloud of magneto-optically cooled caesium atoms we hope to construct atomic guides to facilitate the manipulation of cold atomic beams.
In a recent experiment we studied cold rubidium atoms bouncing on a magnetic mirror made from a flexible computer disk with sinusoidal magnetization. The motion was well described by a model in which the mirror was a perfect specular reflector, but complete agreement with the data required the reflecting surface to be slightly corrugated. Here we explore the physical origins of the corrugation both theoretically and experimentally. First, we develop a theory relating the reflecting force on the atoms to the magnetization of the mirror, taking into account the finite thickness of the magnetic film. We find that if the signal on the floppy disk is not harmonic the atoms appear to have been reflected from a corrugated surface, as observed in our recent experiment. Next, we describe magnetic force microscope measurements which allow us to determine the distortion on the disk and hence to quantify its effect on the reflected atoms. We show that recording nonlinearity is indeed a major cause of the mirror roughness. We also consider other sources of roughness and identify an important effect associated with the boundaries between recorded tracks. Agreement between our experiment and theory suggests that we have identified the limiting factors in a real atom-optical element made from a floppy disk. At present the angular resolution of the mirror is approximately 35 mrad for atoms dropped from a height of 4 cm. We discuss how this can be improved to reach a level of 5 mrad or better.
We describe manipulation of neutral atoms using the magnetic field of microfabricated current-carrying conductors. It is shown how this method can be used to achieve adiabatic magnetic transport from one reservoir to another. In the first experimental realization of a microfabricated magnetic neutral-atom trap, efficient loading is achieved with a novel mirror-magneto-optic trap. A cloud of rubidium atoms is stored and compressed using the magnetic field of a ``U''-shaped wire carrying a current of 2 A. An evaporation mechanism is demonstrated which removes hot atoms from the trap by collisions with the substrate surface.
We have demonstrated that cold atoms can be retroflected from a ferromagnetic surface by the Stern-Gerlach effect. When the surface is magnetized periodically, the reflectivity for suitably polarized atoms is $(94\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8)%$ and the reflection is specular. A demagnetized surface is also highly reflecting but the reflections are diffuse. These magnetic processes are of interest for atom optics because they permit the manipulation of cold atoms without the use of laser beams. In our experiments, Rb atoms released from a magneto-optic trap (MOT) fall under gravity until they are reflected, after which they are recaptured in the MOT. Multiple bounces of these atoms have been studied for times up to 600 ms.