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International Laser Science Conference

Cooling cesium atoms using diode lasers

Carl Wieman, R. N. Watts

Published Jan 1, 1986• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have cooled and stopped a beam of cesium atoms using frequency chirped diode lasers. In this technique, a moving atom absorbs and reemits many photons from a counter propagating laser that is frequency swept to keep it in resonance with an atomic transition. The resulting momentum transfer slows the atom. The basic approach is identical to that developed by Hall and co-workers, however, the use of diode lasers allows us to obtain the necessary frequency modulation simply by sweeping the laser injection current. We use two diode lasers tuned to each of the 6s hyperfine ground state levels to drive the 6s—6p3/2 transitions. Each laser is simultaneously swept over the Doppler profile of the 100°C thermal cesium beam to bring a substantial number to a stop. Using additional fast frequency modulation, the same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. This technique allows us to bring ~106 atoms/cm3 to a temperature of 1 K. This method is an extremely simple and inexpensive way to produce cold atoms.

DOI
10.1364/ils.1986.wc4

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The velocity distribution ofcesium atoms decelmated by a laser diode is measwed using a dye lasm with a narrow spectral width. The "stopped atoms" density is four times greatm than that ofthe free atomic beam at maximum of the Doppler distribution. The average quadratic velocity of these stopped atoms is 3 m/s, and is much lower than the width of the velocity class resonant with the lasm diode (25 m/s). The cooling observed is in good agreement with the simple theoretical mode1 presented in this Note. The possibility of using a "three-frequency" diode is also demonstrated.

•Jan 1, 1988•0 citations
We have cooled and stopped a beam of cesium atoms using frequency chirped diode lasers. In this technique, a moving atom absorbs and reemits many photons from a counter propagating laser that is frequency swept to keep it in resonance with an atomic transition. The resulting momentum transfer slows the atom. The basic approach is identical to that developed by Hall and co-workers, however, the use of diode lasers allows us to obtain the necessary frequency modulation simply by sweeping the laser injection current. We use two diode lasers tuned to each of the 6s hyperfine ground state levels to drive the 6s—6p3/2 transitions. Each laser is simultaneously swept over the Doppler profile of the 100°C thermal cesium beam to bring a substantial number to a stop. Using additional fast frequency modulation, the same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. This technique allows us to bring ~106 atoms/cm3 to a temperature of 1 K. This method is an extremely simple and inexpensive way to produce cold atoms.
The results of two experiments involving the rapid frequency modulation of diode lasers are presented. In the first experiment, a cesium beam of 10('14) atoms/sec is produced with more than 98% of the atoms in a single spin state. The beam is polarized by optically pumping it with a single diode laser whose frequency is switched between the 6s(F = 4)-6p(,3/2)(F = 5) and 6s(F = 3)-6p(,3/2)(F = 4) transitions at 100 kHz. To do this, the frequency response of a diode laser to changes in injection current was first determined and the injection current modified to force a jump of 9.2 GHz in 1.5 (mu)sec. The same laser is used to probe the atomic population distribution simultaneously. In the second experiment, two diode lasers, tuned to the 6s(F = 4)-6p(,3/2)(F = 5) and 6s(F = 3)-6p(,3/2)(F = 4) transitions, are used to cool and stop a beam of cesium atoms. The laser frequencies are swept to keep them in resonance with the slowing atoms. The same lasers are used to probe the resulting velocity distribution. More than 10('10) atoms/sec are slowed to a velocity of 0 (+OR-) 15 m/sec, corresponding to a temperature of 1(DEGREES)K. Both of these experiments demonstrate extremely simple and inexpensive ways to manipulate atomic cesium.
A simple control method for the velocity distribution of cesium atoms is demonstrated using a frequency modulated diode laser with a wider spectrum. Current to the diode laser was modulated and the laser spectrum was broadened to overlap the Doppler broadening of the atomic beam. The reduction of the atom velocity was achieved on the basis of the laser cooling technique and a single narrow peak at approximately 45 m/s was observed. From a view point of a novel purification process, the possibility to deflect this cooled cesium atomic beam was discussed to spatially separate the beam from impurities.
We have laser cooled an atomic beam of rubidium with diode lasers and have used these slow atoms to load a magneto-optical trap. The cooling is performed with the frequency-chirp method,1,2 in which the laser's frequency is ramped linearly (by the injection currant) to maintain resonance with the decelerating atoms. Two synchronously chirped lasers are required to prevent optical hyperfine pumping of the ground state. The chirp typically covers 500 MHz in 10 ms. At the end of each ramp, the resulting velocity distribution is measured with a pulsed probe laser. By varying the end point of the chirp, we are able to obtain slow atoms with average velocities ranging from 200 to −50 m/s. The widths of the velocity distributions are measured to be approximately 40 m/s. This relatively large width results from the inherent linewidth (~30 MHz) of the free-running diode lasers used for both cooling and probing.
The velocity distribution ofcesium atoms decelmated by a laser diode is measwed using a dye lasm with a narrow spectral width. The "stopped atoms" density is four times greatm than that ofthe free atomic beam at maximum of the Doppler distribution. The average quadratic velocity of these stopped atoms is 3 m/s, and is much lower than the width of the velocity class resonant with the lasm diode (25 m/s). The cooling observed is in good agreement with the simple theoretical mode1 presented in this Note. The possibility of using a "three-frequency" diode is also demonstrated.