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

Quantum Electronics

Optical pumping of ultracold thulium atoms to a lower level of the clock transition and study of their depolarisation

E.S. Fedorova, Dmitry O. Tregubov, Artem A. Golovizin, Gulnara A. Vishnyakova, D. Mishin, Daniil I. Provorchenko, Ksenia Yu. Khabarova, В. Н. Сорокин, N. Kolachevsky

Published May 8, 2019• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract The atomic energy levels corresponding to states with the zero projection of the total angular momentum have a weak sensitivity to certain sources of shifts and, therefore, are widely used in precision spectroscopy. The optical pumping of ultracold thulium atoms to the ground state level with the zero projection of the total angular momentum is described. The population dynamics of this state due to magnetic dipole − dipole interaction in an external magnetic field is studied.

DOI
10.1070/qel16998

Related papers

Measurement of absolute frequencies of transitions in thulium atoms

Artem A. Golovizin, Dmitry O. Tregubov, M. O. Yaushev +3 more

Clock transition at $1.14 \mu \mathrm{m}$ in neutral thulium is a promising candidate for compact and robust transportable optical clock due to its extremely low sensitivity to external electric and magnetic fields. Cold Tm atoms are now used in optical lattice clocks, quantum simulators and for the study of Bose-Einstein condensation and cold collision physics. In this work, we discuss experimentally measured absolute frequencies of the two transitions at 410.6 nm and 530.7 nm, used for laser cooling of thulium atoms, transition at 418.8 nm used for optical pumping and clock transition at 1140 nm. Using accurate laser spectroscopy in an ensemble of cold thulium atoms, we measured frequencies of these transitions using an optical frequency comb, which was referenced to an active hydrogen maser. Transition frequencies were measured with an uncertainty at one tenth of their natural linewidth, which is sufficient for cooling and pumping of thulium atoms. The uncertainty of the clock transition frequency is 30 Hz, which was limited by the maser frequency calibration with GNSS. Our results can find application in existing experiments with cold thulium atoms and especially in new projects.

International Conference Laser Optics (ICLO)•Jul 1, 2024•0 citations

Laser spectroscopy of thulium atoms implanted in liquid and solid 4 He

Kiyoshi Ishikawa, A. Hatakeyama, Koichi Gosyono-o +3 more

The excitation, emission spectra, and decay curves of the emission intensity of thulium atoms implanted in liquid and solid helium were observed in the presence and absence of an external magnetic field. The observed narrow line (width $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1$ nm) of the excitation spectrum at 590.60 nm is assigned as a zero-phonon transition from the electronic ground state ${4f}^{13}{(}^{2}{F}_{7/2}^{o}{)6s}^{2}$, which indicates that the transition between the inner shells is weakly perturbed by surrounding helium atoms. The pressure dependence of the emission wavelength suggests that the symmetry of helium atoms distributed around a thulium atom in the solid phase is similar to that in the liquid phase. The emission intensity was stable and large in the solid phase since thulium atoms were trapped at a density of 10${}^{10}$--10${}^{11}$ atoms/cm${}^{3}$. The lifetime of the excited state was measured to be $7.09\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$ $\ensuremath{\mu}$s, which was longer than that of the ${4f}^{12}{(}^{3}{H}_{6}{)5d}_{5/2}{6s}^{2}$ ${(6,5/2)}_{7/2}$ state of free thulium atoms. The excited state is expected to be a mixed state of the ${4f}^{12}{5d6s}^{2}$ and ${4f}^{13}6s6p$ configurations. The metastable state ${4f}^{13}{(}^{2}{F}_{5/2}^{o}{)6s}^{2}$ is populated by a radiative transition from this excited state and relaxes to the ground state through a magnetic dipole transition. The lifetime of the metastable state of a neutral thulium atom was measured to be $75\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3$ ms.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Jul 1, 1997•36 citations

Microwave Spectroscopy of Ultracold Thulium Atoms

D. A. Pershin, V. V. Tsyganok, Vitaly V. Yaroshenko +6 more

Magnetic fields are one of the main tools for controlling the interaction of ultracold atoms using the so-called Feshbach resonances. However, the accurate knowledge of magnetic fields within the high-vacuum chamber is significantly complicated due to the inexact knowledge of the setup geometry, the presence of magnetic parts, and other. In this paper, we demonstrate precision calibration of magnetic fields in the high-vacuum setup using microwave spectroscopy of the ground state of ultracold thulium atoms.

Bulletin of the Lebedev Physics Institute•Dec 1, 2018•8 citations

Rabi spectroscopy of the clock transition in thulium atoms in a one-dimensional optical lattice

E.S. Fedorova, Dmitry O. Tregubov, Artem A. Golovizin +5 more

Abstract The clock transition at a wavelength of 1.14 μm in thulium atoms in an optical lattice in the Lamb – Dick regime is studied. The capture of thulium atoms makes it possible to suppress completely both the transition broadening due to the first-order Doppler effect and the shift of the transition frequency caused by the recoil effect. The excitation spectra of sideband oscillation frequencies and Rabi oscillations of population between the clock transition levels upon resonance excitation are investigated.

Quantum Electronics•Mar 1, 2020•6 citations

Detection of the clock transition in thulium atoms by using repump laser radiation

Dmitry O. Tregubov, Artem A. Golovizin, E.S. Fedorova +5 more

Abstract A population transfer from the upper level of the clock transition in thulium atoms to the ground level is demonstrated by using radiation with a wavelength of 402 nm. The method for detecting the clock transition excitation that is not affected by technical fluctuations of the number of atoms in an optical lattice is investigated. The hyperfine splitting of the |4f12(3F2)5d5/2 6s2; J = 7/2〉 level in the thulium atom is measured to be 1480(9) MHz. The suggested method for population transfer can be applied to both the hyperfine components of the clock transition intended for compensating Zeeman effect in a thulium optical clock.

Quantum Electronics•Jun 1, 2020•6 citations

Preparation of an Ensemble of Thulium Atoms in Different Vibrational Levels in an Optical Lattice

K. O. Babichev, Daniil I. Provorchenko, D. Mishin +3 more

The deterministic excitation of thulium atoms from the ground vibrational state of the optical lattice potential to the first and second vibrational levels with efficiencies of 40 and 24%, respectively, has been demonstrated. The purity of the prepared vibrational states is at least 93 and 95% in the former and latter cases, respectively, and is limited by both the purity of the initial state and the non-resonant excitation of the clock transition carrier frequency. The obtained high efficiency and quality of the preparation of atoms in a given vibrational level make it possible to characterize and control the frequency shift of the clock transition due to the interaction of thulium atoms with the field of the optical lattice, which is necessary to achieve an uncertainty of 10–17 for the thulium optical clock.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters•May 1, 2025•1 citation
Abstract The atomic energy levels corresponding to states with the zero projection of the total angular momentum have a weak sensitivity to certain sources of shifts and, therefore, are widely used in precision spectroscopy. The optical pumping of ultracold thulium atoms to the ground state level with the zero projection of the total angular momentum is described. The population dynamics of this state due to magnetic dipole − dipole interaction in an external magnetic field is studied.
Clock transition at 1.14μm1.14 \mu \mathrm{m}1.14μm in neutral thulium is a promising candidate for compact and robust transportable optical clock due to its extremely low sensitivity to external electric and magnetic fields. Cold Tm atoms are now used in optical lattice clocks, quantum simulators and for the study of Bose-Einstein condensation and cold collision physics. In this work, we discuss experimentally measured absolute frequencies of the two transitions at 410.6 nm and 530.7 nm, used for laser cooling of thulium atoms, transition at 418.8 nm used for optical pumping and clock transition at 1140 nm. Using accurate laser spectroscopy in an ensemble of cold thulium atoms, we measured frequencies of these transitions using an optical frequency comb, which was referenced to an active hydrogen maser. Transition frequencies were measured with an uncertainty at one tenth of their natural linewidth, which is sufficient for cooling and pumping of thulium atoms. The uncertainty of the clock transition frequency is 30 Hz, which was limited by the maser frequency calibration with GNSS. Our results can find application in existing experiments with cold thulium atoms and especially in new projects.
The excitation, emission spectra, and decay curves of the emission intensity of thulium atoms implanted in liquid and solid helium were observed in the presence and absence of an external magnetic field. The observed narrow line (width $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1$ nm) of the excitation spectrum at 590.60 nm is assigned as a zero-phonon transition from the electronic ground state 4f13(2F7/2o)6s2{4f}^{13}{(}^{2}{F}_{7/2}^{o}{)6s}^{2}4f13(2F7/2o​)6s2, which indicates that the transition between the inner shells is weakly perturbed by surrounding helium atoms. The pressure dependence of the emission wavelength suggests that the symmetry of helium atoms distributed around a thulium atom in the solid phase is similar to that in the liquid phase. The emission intensity was stable and large in the solid phase since thulium atoms were trapped at a density of 1010{}^{10}10--1011{}^{11}11 atoms/cm3{}^{3}3. The lifetime of the excited state was measured to be $7.09\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$ $\ensuremath{\mu}$s, which was longer than that of the 4f12(3H6)5d5/26s2{4f}^{12}{(}^{3}{H}_{6}{)5d}_{5/2}{6s}^{2}4f12(3H6​)5d5/2​6s2 (6,5/2)7/2{(6,5/2)}_{7/2}(6,5/2)7/2​ state of free thulium atoms. The excited state is expected to be a mixed state of the 4f125d6s2{4f}^{12}{5d6s}^{2}4f125d6s2 and 4f136s6p{4f}^{13}6s6p4f136s6p configurations. The metastable state 4f13(2F5/2o)6s2{4f}^{13}{(}^{2}{F}_{5/2}^{o}{)6s}^{2}4f13(2F5/2o​)6s2 is populated by a radiative transition from this excited state and relaxes to the ground state through a magnetic dipole transition. The lifetime of the metastable state of a neutral thulium atom was measured to be $75\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3$ ms.
Magnetic fields are one of the main tools for controlling the interaction of ultracold atoms using the so-called Feshbach resonances. However, the accurate knowledge of magnetic fields within the high-vacuum chamber is significantly complicated due to the inexact knowledge of the setup geometry, the presence of magnetic parts, and other. In this paper, we demonstrate precision calibration of magnetic fields in the high-vacuum setup using microwave spectroscopy of the ground state of ultracold thulium atoms.
Abstract The clock transition at a wavelength of 1.14 μm in thulium atoms in an optical lattice in the Lamb – Dick regime is studied. The capture of thulium atoms makes it possible to suppress completely both the transition broadening due to the first-order Doppler effect and the shift of the transition frequency caused by the recoil effect. The excitation spectra of sideband oscillation frequencies and Rabi oscillations of population between the clock transition levels upon resonance excitation are investigated.
Abstract A population transfer from the upper level of the clock transition in thulium atoms to the ground level is demonstrated by using radiation with a wavelength of 402 nm. The method for detecting the clock transition excitation that is not affected by technical fluctuations of the number of atoms in an optical lattice is investigated. The hyperfine splitting of the |4f12(3F2)5d5/2 6s2; J = 7/2〉 level in the thulium atom is measured to be 1480(9) MHz. The suggested method for population transfer can be applied to both the hyperfine components of the clock transition intended for compensating Zeeman effect in a thulium optical clock.
The deterministic excitation of thulium atoms from the ground vibrational state of the optical lattice potential to the first and second vibrational levels with efficiencies of 40 and 24%, respectively, has been demonstrated. The purity of the prepared vibrational states is at least 93 and 95% in the former and latter cases, respectively, and is limited by both the purity of the initial state and the non-resonant excitation of the clock transition carrier frequency. The obtained high efficiency and quality of the preparation of atoms in a given vibrational level make it possible to characterize and control the frequency shift of the clock transition due to the interaction of thulium atoms with the field of the optical lattice, which is necessary to achieve an uncertainty of 10–17 for the thulium optical clock.