Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Enhanced loading of a lithium 7 magneto optical trap using transverse cooling and frequency spread light

Fabio Mibielli Peixoto

Published Jan 1, 2002• 3 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Enhanced Loading of a Lithium 7 Magneto Optical Trap using Transverse Cooling and Frequency Spread Light Fabio Mibielli Peixoto 2002 Using a frequency spread light and a zigzag beam configuration we have transversely cooled and compressed an atomic beam of 7Li in two dimensions (2D). The loading rate of the Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) increased by a factor of 10 capturing 2× 109 atoms. We have studied the loading rate dependence on the 2D beam intensity and on the number of reflections. A phenomenological model that explains our results is proposed. Evaporative cooling of 7Li was observed in a Quadrupole and in a Time Orbiting Potential trap (TOP). The phase-space density (PSD) of the cloud in the Quadrupole increased by a factor of 10. In the TOP we observed evaporation through the “circle of death”. Some limitations for evaporative cooling of 7Li in the TOP were discovered. They are related to the impossibility of laser cooling the atoms inside the trap. Enhanced Loading of a Lithium 7 Magneto Optical Trap using Transverse Cooling and Frequency Spread Light A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Yale University in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Fabio Mibielli Peixoto Dissertation Director: Prof. Mark Kasevich December, 2002 c © 2003 by Fabio Mibielli Peixoto. All rights reserved. For my parents, Sergio “Cachorrao” and Marcia Regina.

Related papers

Zeeman slowing and magneto-optically trapping of lithium atoms in atomic interferometry experiments

Yang Wei, Sun Dali, Zhou Lin +2 more

To prepare cold lithium atoms for atomic interferometry experiments, we have carried out experimental researches on Zeeman deceleration and magneto-optical trap (MOT) of lithium atoms. We have also designed and implemented a compact adjustable Zeeman slower with an inner water cooling chamber, to decelerate the velocity of the 7Li atom beam from 600 m/s down to 60 m/s, and load them into the MOT. The loading rate is 5108 /s, the total trapped atom number is 1109 , and the lowest temperature of the atom cloud is 220 30 K. Then we investigate the dependence of lifetime of 7Li atoms in optical molasses on the detuning of trapping laser beams. The above results lay a foundation for further sub-Doppler cooling, optical trap based on evaporative cooling, and atomic interferometry experiments.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2014•6 citations

Enhanced trapping of colding lithium by using the multiple-sideband cooling in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap

Kai Li, Dongfang Zhang, Tianyou Gao +2 more

Trapping lithium with a big number in a simplified experimental setup has difficulties and challenges today. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the enhancement of \textsuperscript{6}Li trapping efficiency in a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D MOT) by using the multiple-sideband cooling in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT). To improve the number of trapped atoms, we broaden the cooling light spectrum to 102 MHz composed of seven frequency components and then trap atoms with a number of $6.0\times10^8$ which is about 4 times compared to that in the single-frequency cooling. The capture velocity and dependence of atomic number on the laser detuning have been analyzed, where the experimental result has a good agreement with the theoretical prediction based on a simple two-level model. We also analyze the loss rate of alkali metals due to fine-structure exchanging collisions and find that the multiple-sideband cooling is special valid for lithium.

arXiv:1505.03591•May 14, 2015•0 citations

Enhanced trapping of cold Li6 using multiple-sideband cooling in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap

Kai Li, Dongfang Zhang, Tianyou Gao +2 more

Trapping a large number of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ atoms in a simplified experimental setup is a long-term pursuit in the studies of degenerate Fermi gases. We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate the enhancement of $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ trapping efficiency in a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D MOT) by using the multiple-sideband cooling in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT). In the 2D MOT, we increase the spectral width of the cooling light to 102 MHz by generating six frequency sidebands in order to couple fast atoms. The capture velocity is dramatically increased by employing the multiple-sideband cooling. The number of trapped atoms in the 3D MOT is $6.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$, which is higher by a factor of 4 than in the case of single-frequency cooling. We have investigated the dependence of atom number on laser detuning, and our experimental result agrees well with the prediction of a simple two-level model. The efficiency of the multiple-sideband cooling for lithium (in contrast to many other alkali-metal atoms) is also confirmed by the analysis of the loss due to fine-structure changing collisions.

Physical Review A•Jul 22, 2015•11 citations

Sideband-Enhanced Cold Atomic Source for Optical Clocks

Matteo Barbiero, Marco G. Tarallo, Davide Calonico +3 more

We demonstrate the enhancement and optimization of a cold strontium atomic beam from a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT) transversely loaded from a collimated atomic beam by adding a sideband frequency to the cooling laser. The parameters of the cooling and sideband beams are scanned to achieve the maximum atomic beam flux and are compared with Monte Carlo simulations. We obtain a 2.3 times larger total atomic flux and a brightness increase of a factor 4 compared with a conventional, single-frequency 2D MOT for a given total power of 200 mW. We show that the sideband-enhanced 2D MOT can reach the loading-rate performances of space-demanding Zeeman-slower-based systems, while it can overcome systematic effects due to thermal-beam collisions and hot-black-body-radiation shift, making it suitable for both transportable and accurate optical lattice clocks. Finally, we numerically study possible extensions of the sideband-enhanced 2D MOT to other alkaline-earth species.

arXiv:1909.05810•Physical Review Applied•Jan 9, 2020•43 citations

Narrow line laser cooling of lithium: A new tool for all-optical production of a degenerate Fermi gas

Pedro Duarte

We have used the narrow 2 S 1/2 [arrow right] 3 P 3/2 transition in the ultraviolet (UV) to laser cool and magneto-optically trap (MOT) 6 Li atoms. Laser cooling of lithium atoms is usually performed on the 2 S 1/2 [arrow right] 2 P 3/2 (D2) transition, where temperatures of twice the Doppler limit, or ∼300 μ K for lithium, are achieved. The linewidth of the UV transition is seven times narrower than the D2 line, resulting in a lower Doppler limit. We show that a MOT operating on the UV transition reaches temperatures as low as 59 μ K. We load 6 million atoms from this UV MOT into a 1070 nm optical dipole trap (ODT). We show that the light shift of the UV transition in the ODT is small and blue-shifted, facilitating efficient loading. Evaporative cooling of a two spin-state mixture of 6 Li in the ODT produces a quantum degenerate Fermi gas with 3 million atoms in only 11 seconds.

•Jan 1, 2011•2 citations

Enhanced production of 199Hg cold atoms based on two-dimensional magneto-optical trap

Ze-Xin Yu, Qixin Liu, Jianfang Sun +1 more

Efficient preparation of cold atoms plays an important role in realizing precision measurement including optical lattice clocks (OLCs). Fast preparation of cold atoms reduces Dick noise by shortening dead time in a clock interrogation cycle, which improves the stability of OLCs. Here, we increase the loading rate of the three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D-MOT) in the ultra-high vacuum environment by utilizing the two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D-MOT) with a push beam, reduce the temperature of cold atoms with the compression-MOT technique which is implemented by reducing the detuning of 3D-MOT rapidly at the end of atom preparation, and realize the enhanced production of cold atoms for 199Hg OLCs. To achieve 3D-MOT and 2D-MOT of mercury atoms, a deep ultraviolet laser (DUVL) system composed of three DUVLs is developed with one working in lower power for frequency locking and the other two in high power for laser cooling. Such a configuration improves the long-term frequency stability and shows greater robustness than our previous system consisting of two DUVLs. To maximize the 3D-MOT loading rate, we orderly optimize the detuning and the magnetic field gradient of 3D-MOT and those of 2D-MOT as well as the detuning and the power of the push beam. After all parameters are optimized, we measure the maximum loading rate of 3D-MOT to be 3.1×105 s–1 and prepare cold atoms of 1.8×106 in 9 s. The loading rate is greatly enhanced by a factor of 51 by using 2D-MOT and the push beam. In order to improve the efficiency of transferring cold atoms from 3D-MOT to optical lattice, we use compression-MOT technique to reduce the temperature of cold atoms and produce cold 199Hg atoms which are about 45 μK, lower than the expected temperature of Doppler cooling theory. By achieving the high gain of the 3D-MOT loading rate under the ultra-high vacuum and reducing the temperature of cold atoms, this enhanced preparation of cold atoms based on 2D-MOT effectively shortens the preparation time of cold atoms and improves the transfer efficiency of optical lattice, which provides a significant scheme for efficiently preparing cold mercury atoms in other experiments.

Acta Physica Sinica•Oct 9, 2023•1 citation
Enhanced Loading of a Lithium 7 Magneto Optical Trap using Transverse Cooling and Frequency Spread Light Fabio Mibielli Peixoto 2002 Using a frequency spread light and a zigzag beam configuration we have transversely cooled and compressed an atomic beam of 7Li in two dimensions (2D). The loading rate of the Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) increased by a factor of 10 capturing 2× 109 atoms. We have studied the loading rate dependence on the 2D beam intensity and on the number of reflections. A phenomenological model that explains our results is proposed. Evaporative cooling of 7Li was observed in a Quadrupole and in a Time Orbiting Potential trap (TOP). The phase-space density (PSD) of the cloud in the Quadrupole increased by a factor of 10. In the TOP we observed evaporation through the “circle of death”. Some limitations for evaporative cooling of 7Li in the TOP were discovered. They are related to the impossibility of laser cooling the atoms inside the trap. Enhanced Loading of a Lithium 7 Magneto Optical Trap using Transverse Cooling and Frequency Spread Light A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Yale University in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Fabio Mibielli Peixoto Dissertation Director: Prof. Mark Kasevich December, 2002 c © 2003 by Fabio Mibielli Peixoto. All rights reserved. For my parents, Sergio “Cachorrao” and Marcia Regina.
To prepare cold lithium atoms for atomic interferometry experiments, we have carried out experimental researches on Zeeman deceleration and magneto-optical trap (MOT) of lithium atoms. We have also designed and implemented a compact adjustable Zeeman slower with an inner water cooling chamber, to decelerate the velocity of the 7Li atom beam from 600 m/s down to 60 m/s, and load them into the MOT. The loading rate is 5108 /s, the total trapped atom number is 1109 , and the lowest temperature of the atom cloud is 220 30 K. Then we investigate the dependence of lifetime of 7Li atoms in optical molasses on the detuning of trapping laser beams. The above results lay a foundation for further sub-Doppler cooling, optical trap based on evaporative cooling, and atomic interferometry experiments.
Trapping lithium with a big number in a simplified experimental setup has difficulties and challenges today. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the enhancement of \textsuperscript{6}Li trapping efficiency in a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D MOT) by using the multiple-sideband cooling in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT). To improve the number of trapped atoms, we broaden the cooling light spectrum to 102 MHz composed of seven frequency components and then trap atoms with a number of 6.0×1086.0\times10^86.0×108 which is about 4 times compared to that in the single-frequency cooling. The capture velocity and dependence of atomic number on the laser detuning have been analyzed, where the experimental result has a good agreement with the theoretical prediction based on a simple two-level model. We also analyze the loss rate of alkali metals due to fine-structure exchanging collisions and find that the multiple-sideband cooling is special valid for lithium.
Trapping a large number of 6Li^{6}\mathrm{Li}6Li atoms in a simplified experimental setup is a long-term pursuit in the studies of degenerate Fermi gases. We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate the enhancement of 6Li^{6}\mathrm{Li}6Li trapping efficiency in a three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D MOT) by using the multiple-sideband cooling in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT). In the 2D MOT, we increase the spectral width of the cooling light to 102 MHz by generating six frequency sidebands in order to couple fast atoms. The capture velocity is dramatically increased by employing the multiple-sideband cooling. The number of trapped atoms in the 3D MOT is $6.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$, which is higher by a factor of 4 than in the case of single-frequency cooling. We have investigated the dependence of atom number on laser detuning, and our experimental result agrees well with the prediction of a simple two-level model. The efficiency of the multiple-sideband cooling for lithium (in contrast to many other alkali-metal atoms) is also confirmed by the analysis of the loss due to fine-structure changing collisions.
We demonstrate the enhancement and optimization of a cold strontium atomic beam from a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D MOT) transversely loaded from a collimated atomic beam by adding a sideband frequency to the cooling laser. The parameters of the cooling and sideband beams are scanned to achieve the maximum atomic beam flux and are compared with Monte Carlo simulations. We obtain a 2.3 times larger total atomic flux and a brightness increase of a factor 4 compared with a conventional, single-frequency 2D MOT for a given total power of 200 mW. We show that the sideband-enhanced 2D MOT can reach the loading-rate performances of space-demanding Zeeman-slower-based systems, while it can overcome systematic effects due to thermal-beam collisions and hot-black-body-radiation shift, making it suitable for both transportable and accurate optical lattice clocks. Finally, we numerically study possible extensions of the sideband-enhanced 2D MOT to other alkaline-earth species.
We have used the narrow 2 S 1/2 [arrow right] 3 P 3/2 transition in the ultraviolet (UV) to laser cool and magneto-optically trap (MOT) 6 Li atoms. Laser cooling of lithium atoms is usually performed on the 2 S 1/2 [arrow right] 2 P 3/2 (D2) transition, where temperatures of twice the Doppler limit, or ∼300 μ K for lithium, are achieved. The linewidth of the UV transition is seven times narrower than the D2 line, resulting in a lower Doppler limit. We show that a MOT operating on the UV transition reaches temperatures as low as 59 μ K. We load 6 million atoms from this UV MOT into a 1070 nm optical dipole trap (ODT). We show that the light shift of the UV transition in the ODT is small and blue-shifted, facilitating efficient loading. Evaporative cooling of a two spin-state mixture of 6 Li in the ODT produces a quantum degenerate Fermi gas with 3 million atoms in only 11 seconds.
Efficient preparation of cold atoms plays an important role in realizing precision measurement including optical lattice clocks (OLCs). Fast preparation of cold atoms reduces Dick noise by shortening dead time in a clock interrogation cycle, which improves the stability of OLCs. Here, we increase the loading rate of the three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D-MOT) in the ultra-high vacuum environment by utilizing the two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D-MOT) with a push beam, reduce the temperature of cold atoms with the compression-MOT technique which is implemented by reducing the detuning of 3D-MOT rapidly at the end of atom preparation, and realize the enhanced production of cold atoms for 199Hg OLCs. To achieve 3D-MOT and 2D-MOT of mercury atoms, a deep ultraviolet laser (DUVL) system composed of three DUVLs is developed with one working in lower power for frequency locking and the other two in high power for laser cooling. Such a configuration improves the long-term frequency stability and shows greater robustness than our previous system consisting of two DUVLs. To maximize the 3D-MOT loading rate, we orderly optimize the detuning and the magnetic field gradient of 3D-MOT and those of 2D-MOT as well as the detuning and the power of the push beam. After all parameters are optimized, we measure the maximum loading rate of 3D-MOT to be 3.1×105 s–1 and prepare cold atoms of 1.8×106 in 9 s. The loading rate is greatly enhanced by a factor of 51 by using 2D-MOT and the push beam. In order to improve the efficiency of transferring cold atoms from 3D-MOT to optical lattice, we use compression-MOT technique to reduce the temperature of cold atoms and produce cold 199Hg atoms which are about 45 μK, lower than the expected temperature of Doppler cooling theory. By achieving the high gain of the 3D-MOT loading rate under the ultra-high vacuum and reducing the temperature of cold atoms, this enhanced preparation of cold atoms based on 2D-MOT effectively shortens the preparation time of cold atoms and improves the transfer efficiency of optical lattice, which provides a significant scheme for efficiently preparing cold mercury atoms in other experiments.