Observations of density variations in trapped atoms
Mara Goff Prentiss, A. Cable
We have demonstrated that a continuous supply of stow atoms can be produced using a strong standing wave laser field collinear with an atomic beam. Using an interaction length of 27 cm, we typically obtained an atomic beam with a density of ~1 × 10−8cm−3, a most probable velocity of 12 m/s, and a width in velocity space of <12 m/s. We used such a cooled atomic beam to load a magnetic molasses trap.1 We found that the motion of atoms in the trap is not always diffusive but can be confined to very narrow channels, which can be curved and can extend over lengths of several millimeters. In addition, the fluorescence due to the trapped atoms was examined using an optical microscope, and we observed that there were strong spatial variations in the fluorescence. The variations had two distinct components: very regular striations due to interference between the trapping light fields and very irregular variations with a characteristic size scale, which was not strongly correlated with that of the interference fringes.
Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Apr 24, 1989•0 citations