We demonstrate the use of a frequency-doubled optical frequency comb to load, cool, and crystallize trapped atomic ions as an alternative to ultraviolet (UV) or even deep UV continuous-wave lasers. We find that the Doppler shift from the atom's oscillation in the trap, driven by the blue-detuned comb teeth, introduces additional cooling and amplification which gives rise to steady-state phonon lasing of the ion's harmonic motion in the trap. The phonon laser's gain saturation keeps the optical frequency comb from continually adding energy without bound. This protection allows us to demonstrate loading and crystallization of hot ions directly with the comb, eliminating the need for a continuous-wave cooling laser, a technique that is extendable to the deep UV.We demonstrate the use of a frequency-doubled optical frequency comb to load, cool, and crystallize trapped atomic ions as an alternative to ultraviolet (UV) or even deep UV continuous-wave lasers. We find that the Doppler shift from the atom's oscillation in the trap, driven by the blue-detuned comb teeth, introduces additional cooling and amplification which gives rise to steady-state phonon lasing of the ion's harmonic motion in the trap. The phonon laser's gain saturation keeps the optical frequency comb from continually adding energy without bound. This protection allows us to demonstrate loading and crystallization of hot ions directly with the comb, eliminating the need for a continuous-wave cooling laser, a technique that is extendable to the deep UV.

arXiv:1711.11156Physical Review LettersJul 25, 201826 citations

Frequency comb cooling, trapping and molecular formtion

Ticijana Ban, Damir Aumiler, Gordana Kregar +5 more

Oct 21, 20100 citations

Simultaneous dual-species laser cooling using an optical frequency comb

Danijel Buhin, Domagoj Kovačić, Fabian Schmid +4 more

We demonstrate 1D simultaneous laser cooling of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ and $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms using an optical frequency comb. By adjusting the pulse repetition frequency and the offset frequency, the frequency comb spectrum is tuned to ensure that two distinct frequency comb modes are simultaneously red-detuned from the cooling transitions, one mode for each species. Starting from a precooled cloud of $^{85,87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms at above-Doppler temperatures, we show simultaneous cooling of both species down to the Doppler temperature using two counter-propagating ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ polarized beams from the frequency comb. The results indicate that simultaneous dual-species frequency comb cooling does not affect the cooling characteristics of individual atomic species. The results of this work imply that several atomic species could be cooled simultaneously using a single frequency comb source. This comb-based multichannel laser cooling could bring significant advances in multispecies atom interferometers for space applications and in the study of multispecies interactions.We demonstrate 1D simultaneous laser cooling of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ and $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms using an optical frequency comb. By adjusting the pulse repetition frequency and the offset frequency, the frequency comb spectrum is tuned to ensure that two distinct frequency comb modes are simultaneously red-detuned from the cooling transitions, one mode for each species. Starting from a precooled cloud of $^{85,87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms at above-Doppler temperatures, we show simultaneous cooling of both species down to the Doppler temperature using two counter-propagating ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ polarized beams from the frequency comb. The results indicate that simultaneous dual-species frequency comb cooling does not affect the cooling characteristics of individual atomic species. The results of this work imply that several atomic species could be cooled simultaneously using a single frequency comb source. This comb-based multichannel laser cooling could bring significant advances in multispecies atom interferometers for space applications and in the study of multispecies interactions.

arXiv:2006.01547Physical Review AAug 25, 20203 citations

Laser Cooling and Trapping

Harold J. Metcalf, P. van der Straten

Graduate texts in contemporary physicsJan 1, 19991,303 citations

Laser Cooling and Trapping

Jean-Louis Basdevant, Jean Dalibard

Advanced texts in physicsJan 1, 200090 citations

We demonstrate 1D simultaneous laser cooling of

^{87}\mathrm{Rb}

and

^{85}\mathrm{Rb}

atoms using an optical frequency comb. By adjusting the pulse repetition frequency and the offset frequency, the frequency comb spectrum is tuned to ensure that two distinct frequency comb modes are simultaneously red-detuned from the cooling transitions, one mode for each species. Starting from a precooled cloud of

^{85,87}\mathrm{Rb}

atoms at above-Doppler temperatures, we show simultaneous cooling of both species down to the Doppler temperature using two counter-propagating ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ polarized beams from the frequency comb. The results indicate that simultaneous dual-species frequency comb cooling does not affect the cooling characteristics of individual atomic species. The results of this work imply that several atomic species could be cooled simultaneously using a single frequency comb source. This comb-based multichannel laser cooling could bring significant advances in multispecies atom interferometers for space applications and in the study of multispecies interactions.