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Pumping dynamics of cold-atom experiments in a single vacuum chamber

Jean-Marc Martin, Satyanarayana Bade, William Dubosclard, Murtaza Ali Khan, Seungjin Kim (10522652), B. M. Garraway, Carlos L. Garrido Alzar

Published Jul 18, 2019• 4 citations

Abstract

A nonlinear analytical model for the pressure dynamics in a vacuum chamber, pumped with a sputter ion pump (SIP), is proposed, discussed and experimentally evaluated. The model describes the physics of the pumping mechanism of SIPs in the context of a cold-atom experiment. By using this model, we fit pump-down curves of our vacuum system to extract the relevant physical parameters characterizing its pressure dynamics. The aim of this investigation is the optimization of cold-atom experiments in terms of reducing the dead time for quantum sensing using atom interferometry. We develop a calibration method to improve the precision in pressure measurements via the ion current in SIPs. Our method is based on a careful analysis of the gas conductance and pumping in order to reliably link the pressure readings at the SIP with the actual pressure in the vacuum (science) chamber. Our results are in agreement with the existence of essentially two pumping regimes determined by the pressure level in the system. In particular, we find our results in agreement with the well-known fact that for a given applied voltage, at low pressures, the discharge current efficiently sputters pumping material from the pump’s electrodes. This process sets the leading pumping mechanism in this limit. At high pressures, the discharge current drops and the pumping is mainly performed by the already sputtered material.

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A nonlinear analytical model for the pressure dynamics in a vacuum chamber, pumped with a sputter ion pump (SIP), is proposed, discussed and experimentally evaluated. The model describes the physics of the pumping mechanism of SIPs in the context of a cold-atom experiment. By using this model, we fit pump-down curves of our vacuum system to extract the relevant physical parameters characterizing its pressure dynamics. The aim of this investigation is the optimization of cold-atom experiments in terms of reducing the dead time for quantum sensing using atom interferometry. We develop a calibration method to improve the precision in pressure measurements via the ion current in SIPs. Our method is based on a careful analysis of the gas conductance and pumping in order to reliably link the pressure readings at the SIP with the actual pressure in the vacuum (science) chamber. Our results are in agreement with the existence of essentially two pumping regimes determined by the pressure level in the system. In particular, we find our results in agreement with the well-known fact that for a given applied voltage, at low pressures, the discharge current efficiently sputters pumping material from the pump’s electrodes. This process sets the leading pumping mechanism in this limit. At high pressures, the discharge current drops and the pumping is mainly performed by the already sputtered material.

Compact ultracold-atom sensors using a single vacuum chamber have their stability ultimately constrained by vacuum dynamics. To speed evacuation, the straightforward approach is to increase the pumping speed, which implies increasing pump size and sensor volume. This investigation of the dynamics of sputtered ion pumps (SIPs) describes the main physical mechanisms with a nonlinear model for ion-current pump-down in the low-pressure regime. One pumping process suggests that a structured cathode could curtail the increase in pump size, or at least maintain the trapping cross section of the electrode---a result that may be important in the design and development of miniature ion pumps.

Compact cold-atom sensors depend on vacuum technology. One of the major limitations to miniaturizing these sensors is the active pumps—typically ion pumps—that are required to sustain the low pressure needed for laser cooling. Although passively pumped chambers have been proposed as a solution to this problem, technical challenges have prevented successful operation at the levels needed for cold-atom experiments. The authors present the first demonstration of a vacuum package successfully independent of ion pumps for more than a week; their vacuum package is capable of sustaining a cloud of cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for greater than 200 days using only non-evaporable getters and a rubidium dispenser. Measurements of the MOT lifetime indicate that the package maintains a pressure of better than 2×10−7 Torr. This result will significantly enable the development of compact atomic sensors, including those sensitive to magnetic fields, where the absence of an ion pump will be advantageous.

In recent years, there has been significant interest in quantum technology, characterized by the emergence of quantum computers boasting immense processing power, ultra-sensitive quantum sensors, and ultra-precise atomic clocks. Miniaturization of quantum devices using cold atoms necessitates the employment of an ultra-high vacuum miniature cell with a pressure of approximately 10−6 Pa or even lower. In this study, we developed an ultra-high vacuum cell realized by a miniature ion pump using a high-efficiency plasma source. Initially, an unsealed miniature ion pump was introduced into a vacuum chamber, after which the ion pump’s discharge current, depending on vacuum pressures, was evaluated. Subsequently, a miniature vacuum cell was fabricated by hermetically sealing the miniature vacuum pump. The cell was successfully evacuated by a miniature ion pump down to an ultra-high vacuum region, which was derived by the measured discharge current. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of achieving an ultra-high vacuum cell necessary for the operation of miniature quantum devices.

Cooling atoms to Nano-Kelvin requires an ultra-high vacuum system with complex features, such as coated optical accesses, paramagnetic materials, or differential pumping stages. Furthermore, the sensitivity of atom interferometers, one promising application of ultra-cold atoms, scales with the free evolution time (T) of the cold ensembles. In order to increase T, microgravity becomes necessary. Hence, the development of reliable, miniaturized UHV systems with the capability to withstand the rough environment of microgravity platforms is a key task to pave the way for high performance cold atom instruments. In order to minimize such complex vacuum systems various tests have to be performed. For instance the measurement of outgassing rates for critical components inside the chamber and leakage rates of metal sealed windows allow a more detailed dimensioning of the vacuum pumps. In addition to the challenge of miniaturization, most of the microgravity platforms are linked to a rough thermal and mechanical environment. Vacuum pumps and seals are supposed to endure vibrations and loads of rocket launches or drop tower impacts. In the case of the sounding rocket mission MAIUS, the motors induced loads to the payload of up to 13 g. This talk presents the challenges for vacuum systems on microgravity platforms. Test beds for outgassing rate measurement, window sealing technologies and loaded CF flanges are shown and first results for the tests are given

The lifetime of an atom trap is often limited by the presence of residual background gases in the vacuum chamber. This leads to the lifetime being inversely proportional to the pressure. Here, we use this dependence to estimate the pressure and to obtain pressure rate-of-rise curves, which are commonly used in vacuum science to evaluate the performance of a system. We observe different rates of pressure increase in response to different levels of outgassing in our system. Therefore, we suggest that this is a sensitive method which will find useful applications in cold atom systems, in particular, where the inclusion of a standard vacuum gauge is impractical.

Compact ultra-high vacuum systems are key enabling components for cold atom technologies, facilitating extremely accurate sensing applications. There has been important progress towards a truly portable compact vacuum system, however size, weight and power consumption can be prohibitively large, optical access may be limited, and active pumping is often required. Here, we present a centilitre-scale ceramic vacuum chamber with He-impermeable viewports and an integrated diffractive optic, enabling robust laser cooling with light from a single polarization-maintaining fibre. A cold atom demonstrator based on the vacuum cell delivers

10^7

laser-cooled

^{87}

Rb atoms per second, using minimal electrical power. With continuous Rb gas emission active pumping yields a

10^{-7}\,

mbar equilibrium pressure, and passive pumping stabilises to

3\times 10^{-6}\,

mbar, with a

17\,

day time constant. A passively-pumped vacuum cell, with no Rb dispensing, has currently kept a similar pressure for a year. The passive-pumping vacuum lifetime is several years, estimated from short-term He throughput, with many foreseeable improvements. This technology enables wide-ranging mobilization of ultracold quantum metrology.