We demonstrate sub-Doppler laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of the rare earth element Holmium. Atoms are loaded from an atomic beam source and captured in six-beam $σ_+ - σ_-$ molasses using a strong $J=15/2 \leftrightarrow J=17/2$ cycling transition at $λ=410.5 \rm nm$ . Due to the small difference in hyperfine splittings and Landé $g$ -factors in the lower and upper levels of the cooling transition the MOT is self-repumped without additional repump light, and deep sub-Doppler cooling is achieved with the magnetic trap turned on. We measure the leakage out of the cycling transition to metastable states and find a branching ratio $\sim 10^{-5}$ which is adequate for state resolved measurements on hyperfine encoded qubits.We demonstrate sub-Doppler laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of the rare earth element Holmium. Atoms are loaded from an atomic beam source and captured in six-beam $σ_+ - σ_-$ molasses using a strong $J=15/2 \leftrightarrow J=17/2$ cycling transition at $λ=410.5 \rm nm$. Due to the small difference in hyperfine splittings and Landé $g$-factors in the lower and upper levels of the cooling transition the MOT is self-repumped without additional repump light, and deep sub-Doppler cooling is achieved with the magnetic trap turned on. We measure the leakage out of the cycling transition to metastable states and find a branching ratio $\sim 10^{-5}$ which is adequate for state resolved measurements on hyperfine encoded qubits.

arXiv:1401.4156Physical Review AApr 3, 201487 citations

Magnetic relaxation in dysprosium-dysprosium collisions

Bonna K. Newman, Nathan Brahms, Yat Shan Au +5 more

The collisional magnetic reorientation rate constant ${g}_{R}$ is measured for magnetically trapped atomic dysprosium (Dy), an atom with large magnetic dipole moments. Using buffer gas cooling with cold helium, large numbers ( $>{10}^{11}$ ) of Dy are loaded into a magnetic trap and the buffer gas is subsequently removed. The decay of the trapped sample is governed by collisional reorientation of the atomic magnetic moments. We find ${g}_{R}=1.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ cm ${}^{3}$ s${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 390 mK. We also measure the magnetic reorientation rate constant of holmium (Ho), another highly magnetic atom, and find ${g}_{R}=5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$ cm ${}^{3}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 690 mK. The Zeeman relaxation rates of these atoms are greater than expected for the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, suggesting that another mechanism, such as an anisotropic electrostatic interaction, is responsible. Comparison with estimated elastic collision rates suggests that Dy is a poor candidate for evaporative cooling in a magnetic trap.The collisional magnetic reorientation rate constant ${g}_{R}$ is measured for magnetically trapped atomic dysprosium (Dy), an atom with large magnetic dipole moments. Using buffer gas cooling with cold helium, large numbers ($>{10}^{11}$) of Dy are loaded into a magnetic trap and the buffer gas is subsequently removed. The decay of the trapped sample is governed by collisional reorientation of the atomic magnetic moments. We find ${g}_{R}=1.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ cm${}^{3}$ s${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 390 mK. We also measure the magnetic reorientation rate constant of holmium (Ho), another highly magnetic atom, and find ${g}_{R}=5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$ cm${}^{3}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 690 mK. The Zeeman relaxation rates of these atoms are greater than expected for the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, suggesting that another mechanism, such as an anisotropic electrostatic interaction, is responsible. Comparison with estimated elastic collision rates suggests that Dy is a poor candidate for evaporative cooling in a magnetic trap.

Physical Review AJan 31, 201114 citations

Quantum computation with atomic ensembles

Tommaso Calarco

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMar 19, 20130 citations

Quantum state control of trapped Holmium atoms

James Hostetter, Christopher M. Yip, William R. Milner +3 more

Bulletin of the American Physical SocietyMay 24, 20160 citations

High-level Structures for Quantum Computing

Jarosław Adam Miszczak

Synthesis lectures on quantum computingMay 31, 201210 citations

We demonstrate sub-Doppler laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of the rare earth element Holmium. Atoms are loaded from an atomic beam source and captured in six-beam

σ_+ - σ_-

molasses using a strong

J=15/2 \leftrightarrow J=17/2

cycling transition at

λ=410.5 \rm nm

. Due to the small difference in hyperfine splittings and Landé

g

-factors in the lower and upper levels of the cooling transition the MOT is self-repumped without additional repump light, and deep sub-Doppler cooling is achieved with the magnetic trap turned on. We measure the leakage out of the cycling transition to metastable states and find a branching ratio

\sim 10^{-5}

which is adequate for state resolved measurements on hyperfine encoded qubits.

The collisional magnetic reorientation rate constant

{g}_{R}

is measured for magnetically trapped atomic dysprosium (Dy), an atom with large magnetic dipole moments. Using buffer gas cooling with cold helium, large numbers (

>{10}^{11}

) of Dy are loaded into a magnetic trap and the buffer gas is subsequently removed. The decay of the trapped sample is governed by collisional reorientation of the atomic magnetic moments. We find ${g}_{R}=1.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ cm

{}^{3}

s${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 390 mK. We also measure the magnetic reorientation rate constant of holmium (Ho), another highly magnetic atom, and find ${g}_{R}=5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$ cm

{}^{3}

${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 690 mK. The Zeeman relaxation rates of these atoms are greater than expected for the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, suggesting that another mechanism, such as an anisotropic electrostatic interaction, is responsible. Comparison with estimated elastic collision rates suggests that Dy is a poor candidate for evaporative cooling in a magnetic trap.