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Physical Review A

Quantitative measurements of light-induced desorption of rubidium atoms from quartz substrates

K. Kitagami, K. Hosumi, K. Goto, A. Hatakeyama

Published Jun 19, 2012• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigated the light-induced desorption (LID) of Rb atoms from quartz substrates to understand better the LID observed in alkali-metal vapor cells used in laser cooling experiments. The substrate was first exposed to Rb under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The Rb was found to diffuse into the substrate by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Rb atoms were then deposited with a density of $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{15}$ atoms/cm${}^{2}$ on the surface, from which LID was observed upon irradiation by ultraviolet light. The LID rate depended linearly on the light intensity in the investigated range up to 15 mW/cm${}^{2}$. A typical value was ${10}^{10}$ atoms/(s cm${}^{2}$) per mW/cm${}^{2}$ at a photon energy of 4.3 eV (290 nm in wavelength). We found that the LID rate increased with photon energy in the range 1.8--4.3 eV (700--290 nm in wavelength).

DOI
10.1103/physreva.85.062901

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We investigated the light-induced desorption (LID) of Rb atoms from quartz substrates to understand better the LID observed in alkali-metal vapor cells used in laser cooling experiments. The substrate was first exposed to Rb under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The Rb was found to diffuse into the substrate by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Rb atoms were then deposited with a density of \ensuremath∼1015\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{15}\ensuremath∼1015 atoms/cm2{}^{2}2 on the surface, from which LID was observed upon irradiation by ultraviolet light. The LID rate depended linearly on the light intensity in the investigated range up to 15 mW/cm2{}^{2}2. A typical value was 1010{10}^{10}1010 atoms/(s cm2{}^{2}2) per mW/cm2{}^{2}2 at a photon energy of 4.3 eV (290 nm in wavelength). We found that the LID rate increased with photon energy in the range 1.8--4.3 eV (700--290 nm in wavelength).
Observation of nonthermal, light-induced desorption of Cs and Rb atoms from paraffin coating is reported. Buffer-gas-free paraffin-coated cells containing Cs and Rb were exposed to laser light of various intensities and frequencies, and the change of the vapor densities as a function of time was investigated. Because atomic polarization relaxes very slowly in paraffin-coated cells (spin-relaxation times can be $\ensuremath{\gtrsim}1\mathrm{s}),$ they are applied in a variety of precision measurements (e.g., magnetometry, discrete symmetry tests, etc.). Light-induced desorption may be useful in such measurements as a method to control atomic density without changing the temperature of the cell.
Huge light-induced rubidium atom desorption has been observed from porous silica samples placed inside Pyrex cells kept at room temperature. The desorption rate and the maximum vapour density change have been measured as a function of the desorbing light intensity. Their values are comparable with those recently obtained in Pyrex cells coated with organic films. A linear dependence of the desorption rate and a square-root dependence of the maximum density increase on light intensity indicate that diffusion inside the glass pores is a key mechanism. The application of this effect to develop light-controlled atomic dispensers compatible with high vacuum environment is discussed.
We report studies of photon-stimulated desorption, also known as light-induced atomic desorption, of sodium atoms from a vacuum-cell glass surface used for loading a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Fluorescence detection was used to record the trapped atom number and the desorption rate. We observed a steep wavelength dependence of the desorption process above 2.6eV2.6 \mathrm{eV}2.6eV photon energy, a result significant for estimations of sodium vapor density in the lunar atmosphere. Our data fit well to a simple model for the loading of the MOT dependent only on the sodium desorption rate and residual gas density. Up to $3.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ Na atoms were confined under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, creating promising loading conditions for a vapor-cell-based atomic Bose-Einstein condensate of sodium.
We present the first experimental observation of atomic spin randomization of Rb atoms released by light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD). A natural mixture of Rb atoms contained in paraffin and PDMS coated glass cells is irradiated by a free-running diode laser light tuned to the Rb D 2 resonance line. The transmission spectrum of the Rb vapor is thus modified and shows a strong enhancement of the hyperfine optical pumping as the light intensity is increased and the laser-frequency scanning rate is decreased. The D 2 line spectra are compared for two cases: without and with illumination of the walls of the cell by a UV lamp centered around the wavelength of 404 nm. A simple theoretical model based on the solution of the rate balance equations is introduced in order to analyze the experimental results.
We report some preliminary results on experimental investigation of the potential of Light Induced Atomic Desorption (LIAD) applications for density control in antirelaxation coated cells and coherent spectroscopy. LIAD is a non-thermal process whereby atoms adsorbed on a surface are released under illumination. It is applied mostly to implementing optical atomic dispensers in the cases when high atomic density at low temperature is needed - for example, for loading atomic devices as atomic magnetometers, atomic clocks, atomic traps and their miniaturization. An advantage of the light control is that it is faster than the temperature control. More than an order of increase of the density with LIAD is obtained. Some peculiarities in the 780 nm absorption and fluorescence spectra registered in dense Rb vapor are registered. The absorption and fluorescence spectra in Rb vapors controlled by temperature and LIAD are compared.