We propose a scheme to form a combinative triple-well optical trap for cold atoms or molecules in focus plane by using an optical system composed of a lens and a phase-type spatial light modulator (SLM) based on liquid crystal microdisplays illuminated by a plane light wave. The principle of forming a triple-well optical trap is analyzed and the characteristic parameters of optical potential are calculated. We also discuss the evolution between a tripe-well optical trap and a double-well one (or a single-well one). Additionally, the propotential applications of our triple-well trap and its novel optical lattices in four-wave mixing with matter waves, cold collision of three atomic species and so on, are explored.
We present the simultaneous trapping and cooling of
85Rb,
87Rb and
133Cs in a triple-species magneto-optical trap (MOT). This demonstration is obtained using an all-fibre compact and robust laser system based on telecom 1.5
μm and 2
μm technologies. We characterise the two-body interspecies losses in the double and triple-species MOT. We calculate the two-body interspecies trap-loss coefficient for the
85Rb/
133Cs and the
87Rb/
133Cs pairs, representing a variation of less than 7 \% in atom number. No losses are observed between
85Rb and
87Rb in our experimental conditions. We find that interspecies interactions inside the triple-species MOT do not prevent trapping and cooling 10
8 atoms for each species, making our system suitable for future multi-species cold-atom interferometry applications.