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Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Two-species cold atomic beam

Nathan E. Lundblad, David C. Aveline, Robert J. Thompson, James M. Kohel, Jaime Ramirez-Serrano, William M. Klipstein, Daphna G. Enzer, Nan Yu, Lute Maleki

Published Jan 1, 2004• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We generate a bright atomic beam containing laser-cooled rubidium and cesium, and we use this beam to load a mixed-species ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) magneto-optical trap. We have characterized our two-species atomic beam over a range of operating conditions, and we obtain similar atom fluxes for each species. Within the UHV trap, interspecies inelastic collisions are observed in the form of enhanced decay rates of a given species in the presence of a second trapped species. We analyze the trap decays to obtain a loss rate due to heteronuclear cold collisions, and we compare our result to similar measurements in vapor-cell traps [Phys. Rev. A 63, 033406 (2001)].

DOI
10.1364/josab.21.000003

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We generate a bright atomic beam containing laser-cooled rubidium and cesium, and we use this beam to load a mixed-species ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) magneto-optical trap. We have characterized our two-species atomic beam over a range of operating conditions, and we obtain similar atom fluxes for each species. Within the UHV trap, interspecies inelastic collisions are observed in the form of enhanced decay rates of a given species in the presence of a second trapped species. We analyze the trap decays to obtain a loss rate due to heteronuclear cold collisions, and we compare our result to similar measurements in vapor-cell traps [Phys. Rev. A 63, 033406 (2001)].
Summary form only given. All the experiments and theories describing atomic traps and cold collisions have considered only homonuclear systems. Cold collisions involving different atomic species open up new and exciting possibilities, including high-resolution studies of heteronuclear molecular band formation. We have carried out an experiment on the simultaneous magneto-optical trapping of two alkali atoms: Na and K. Collisional rate constant of trap loss resulting from cross atomic collisions was investigated through the transient loading of the trap.
We realize a combined trap for bosonic chromium (52Cr) and rubidium (87Rb) atoms. Initial experiments focus on exploring a suitable loading scheme for the combined trap and on studies of new trap loss mechanisms originating from simultaneous trapping of two species. By comparing the trap loss from the 87Rb magneto-optical trap (MOT) in the absence and presence of magnetically trapped ground state 52Cr atoms we determine the scattering cross-section of σ inel,RbCr = 5.0 ± 4.0 × 10−18 m2 for light-induced inelastic collisions between the two species. Studying the trap loss from the Rb magneto-optical trap induced by the Cr cooling-laser light, the photoionization cross-section of the excited 5P3/1 state at an ionizing wavelength of 426 nm is measured to be σ P = 1.1 ± 0.3 × 10−21 m2.
We have produced a magneto-optical trap that simultaneously confines two different atomic species: sodium and potassium. A measurement of the sodium trap loss rate constant due to collisions with cold potassium atoms was performed. We extract this rate constant by measuring the temporal behavior of the loading process of the sodium trap in the presence and absence of cold potassium. The constant that is obtained can be qualitatively explained using simple existing models. Future applications of simultaneous trapping are discussed.
We present the creation of a lithium-cesium slow beam using a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap. The two-species atomic beam is directed to load a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap in ultrahigh vacuum. We achieve a loading rate of $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ lithium atoms/s with the lithium oven temperature at $370{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$ and $2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ cesium atoms/s with the Cs oven temperature at $20{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$. The maximum numbers of lithium and cesium atoms in the trap are $1.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ and $1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$, respectively. Our results show that the simple and compact two-dimensional magneto-optical trap is suitable for producing an atomic beam of two species that have a large mass ratio and very different volatilities.
We discuss the implementation and characterization of the source of a slow, intense, and collimated beam of rubidium atoms. The cold atomic beam is produced by two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping in directions transverse to the atomic beam axis and unbalanced Doppler cooling in the axial direction. The vacuum design allows use of relatively low laser power and a considerably simplified assembly. The atomic beam has a high flux of about $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{atoms}∕\mathrm{s}$ at a total cooling laser power of 55mW55\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mW}55mW. It has a narrow longitudinal velocity distribution with mean velocity 15m∕s15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{m}∕\mathrm{s}15m∕s with full width at half maximum 3.5m∕s3.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{m}∕\mathrm{s}3.5m∕s and has a low divergence of 26mrad26\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mrad}26mrad. The high flux enables ultrafast loading of about 1010{10}^{10}1010 atoms into a three-dimensional (3D) magneto-optical trap within 500 ms. The variation of the atomic beam flux was studied as a function of the rubidium vapor pressure, cooling laser power, transverse cooling laser beam length, detuning of the cooling laser, and relative intensities of the cooling beams along the atomic beam axis. We also discuss a detailed comparison of our measurements of the cold atomic beam with a 3D numerical simulation.