This thesis presents progress on a path to Rubidium-85 Feshbach molecules that could be used for magnetometery and other experiments. An apparatus including a magneto-optical trap, magnetic trap, and dual laser dipole trap has been modified for studies of the 155 G Feshbach resonance and associated production of ultracold Rubidium-85 molecules. Modifications include changes in the optical pumping technique to spin-polarize Rubidium-85 atoms in the F=2, mF =-2 hyperfine state. In addition, we constructed a dual 6.8 GHz and 3.0 GHz source and a 3 GHz microwave amplifier to evaporatively cool Rubidium-87 and Rubidium-85 and allow for more control of the atomic spin. These modifications and techniques will aid in manipulating the atomic spins in future experiments. As an example, we perform microwave spectroscopy on Rubidium-85 atoms from which we infer a residual magnetic field in the MOT cell of 170 +/- 5 mG. We also found the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = 0> transition to have a Rabi Frequency of 8.9 +/- 0.5 kHz, the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = -1> transition to have a Rabi frequency of 10.1 +/- 0.5 kHz, and the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = +1> transition to have a Rabi frequency of 11.0 +/- 0.5 kHz.
This thesis presents progress on a path to Rubidium-85 Feshbach molecules that could be used for magnetometery and other experiments. An apparatus including a magneto-optical trap, magnetic trap, and dual laser dipole trap has been modified for studies of the 155 G Feshbach resonance and associated production of ultracold Rubidium-85 molecules. Modifications include changes in the optical pumping technique to spin-polarize Rubidium-85 atoms in the F=2, mF =-2 hyperfine state. In addition, we constructed a dual 6.8 GHz and 3.0 GHz source and a 3 GHz microwave amplifier to evaporatively cool Rubidium-87 and Rubidium-85 and allow for more control of the atomic spin. These modifications and techniques will aid in manipulating the atomic spins in future experiments. As an example, we perform microwave spectroscopy on Rubidium-85 atoms from which we infer a residual magnetic field in the MOT cell of 170 +/- 5 mG. We also found the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = 0> transition to have a Rabi Frequency of 8.9 +/- 0.5 kHz, the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = -1> transition to have a Rabi frequency of 10.1 +/- 0.5 kHz, and the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = +1> transition to have a Rabi frequency of 11.0 +/- 0.5 kHz.
Ultracold polar molecules have emerged as promising platforms for quantum simulation, quantum information science, precision measurements of fundamental symmetry violations, and quantum chemistry. Over the past decade, rapid progress in direct laser cooling of molecules has enabled new capabilities such as magneto-optical traps (MOTs), sub-Doppler cooling, and optical dipole traps (ODTs), expanding the quantum toolbox with ultracold molecules of complex internal structures and strong dipolar interactions. This thesis presents the design, construction, and operation of an experiment on ultracold strontium monofluoride (88Sr19F) molecules, demonstrating state-of-the-art techniques for molecular laser cooling and trapping. The apparatus integrates a broad range of technical sub-systems, including cryogenics, ultra-high vacuum, optics, electronics, and automated laboratory control software. SrF molecules produced in a slowed cryogenic buffer gas beam are captured into a dual-frequency MOT. Subsequent Λ-enhanced gray molasses cooling reduces the molecule temperature to as low as 5 μK. A novel blue-detuned MOT is also implemented to further compress the molecular cloud, increasing the density by a factor of ∼ 400. At this high density, SrF molecules are efficiently loaded into an ODT, a tight, conservative trap with long lifetimes. Population transfer between different rotational levels is achieved via optical pumping and coherent microwave control, yielding ∼ 0.8 ms coherence time in Rabi oscillation and ∼ 90 % transfer efficiency. This thesis also describes the development of an ultracold rubidium (87Rb) atom experiment, in which a loading rate of ∼ 10^10 atoms/s into a radio-frequency (RF) MOT is demonstrated. A modular two-dimensional MOT serves as the Rb source and can be seamlessly integrated into the SrF apparatus, opening the possibility for future studies of co-trapping and sympathetic cooling of SrF molecules with atoms. The results presented in this thesis establish an experimental foundation for exploring new frontiers in ultracold molecular physics.
The field of ultracold matter has developed rapidly over the course of the past twenty to thirty years. One outstanding achievement has been the realisation of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) only 23 years ago. Many other fascinating observations of quantum phenomena have been made at an incredibly fast pace using ultracold atomic samples with contact force interactions as a testbed. Due to the rapid successes of all these experiments on atomic ensembles, researchers began to aim for more elaborate inter-particle interactions. A possible additional one is the dipole-dipole interaction (DDI), the long-range character of which stands out in comparison to the contact interactions. Moreover, DDI is anisotropic and the possibility to tune the direction of the dipoles in the experiment as well as the interaction strength promises the possibility to study a plethora of new quantum phenomena. In recent years, several experiments using different combinations of alkali atoms to create ground-state hetero-nuclear molecules in the ultracold regime have been set up, following the pioneering work on KRb molecules. Of all possible combinations of two alkali atoms, NaK combines the advantages of a high induced electric dipole moment of 2.72 Debye, chemical stability of the ground-state molecules, the possibility to realise bosonic as well as fermionic molecules and a large knowledge base for cooling and trapping of the two atomic species. This thesis reports on the development and construction of an experiment apparatus for the production of ultracold bosonic dipolar ground state 23Na39K molecules. This includes the setup of an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system, several laser light sources, microwave (MW) and radio frequency (RF) antennas and electronics to control the various components of the experiment. The system pre-cools the atomic samples of 23Na and 39K and loads them into a dual-species three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D MOT). After a transfer to a magnetic quadrupole trap, the mixture is cooled by forced MW evaporation until three-body losses limit dual-species operation at high densities and zero magnetic field. Using the pure optical trapping potential of a crossed optical dipole trap (cODT) and RF- state-transfer, the scattering properties of the bosonic mixture of 23Na+39K are investigated in extensive atom loss measurements for a magnetic field range from 0 to 750 G. Several Feshbach resonances, zero crossings of the interspecies scattering length and inelastic loss features in many different scattering channels are identified. The results of this study are used to refine the molecular potentials of NaK and to produce a dual-species quantum-degenerate mixture of two BECs in the state (f = 1, mf = −1) of 23Na + (f = 1, mf = −1) of 39K. The measurements and refined molecular potentials will considerably aid in the future realisation of 23Na39K molecules in their absolute ground state.
This thesis reports the observation of interspecies Feshbach resonances in an ultracold mixture of Rb and Cs atoms. A versatile combined magnetic and optical potential has been designed and constructed which is capable of bringing both 87Rb and 133Cs to degeneracy, and reaching high phase-space density in 85Rb. High phase-space density mixtures are the first step required in the production of ultracold polar molecules, the topic of much current research. The apparatus capitalises on the efficient capture of atoms by a magnetic trap from a magneto-optical trap, and the efficient sympathetic cooling of Cs by Rb therein. Upon transfer to the crossed optical dipole trap condensates in excess of 1×10687Rb atoms and approximately 1×105133Cs atoms are produced after direct evaporation and gravito-magnetic tilting of the potential. The observation of six interspecies 87Rb-133Cs Feshbach resonances are reported, three of which had only been predicted theoretically, allowing testing and development of the theoretical model. Furthermore, the extrapolation of this model has predicted numerous Feshbach resonances between 85Rb and 133Cs, none of which have been experimentally observed prior to this work. The versatile nature of this apparatus is discussed, including the application of the current system to cooling of 85Rb. Initial experiments observed seven interspecies resonances, including a broad s-wave resonance at a magnetic field of (644±2) G which is in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction. Further work has revealed that fourteen Feshbach resonances exist in the 0-700 G magnetic field range between 85Rb and 133Cs atoms in the ∣2,+2⟩ and ∣3,+3⟩ states, respectively. Several of these resonances would be ideal for magneto-association of RbCs molecules, prior to transfer to the rovibrational ground-state.
This thesis describes the advances made towards a dual-species magneto-optical trap (MOT) of Li and Rb for use in photoassociation spectroscopy, Feshbach resonance studies, and, as long-term aspirations, the formation of ultracold heteronuclear polar molecules. The initial discussion will focus on a brief theoretical overview of laser cooling and trapping and the production of ultracold molecules from a cold atom source. Subsequently, details of the experimental system, including those pertaining to the required laser light, the vacuum chamber, and the computer control system will be presented. Finally, preliminary optimization and characterization measurements showing the performance of a single species Li MOT are introduced. These measurements demonstrated the loading of over 8 x 107 Li atoms directly into a MOT without the need for a Zeeman slower.
This thesis describes a new apparatus designed to study ultracold gases of rubidium. The apparatus comprises a six-beam MOT chamber and a dierential pumping stage leading into a 'science chamber'. This science chamber is constructed from a rectangular glass cell. Atomic gases of rubidium are collected in a MOT and then transferred into a magnetic quadrupole trap. This quadrupole trap is mounted on a motorised translation stage. This setup transports the atoms into the science chamber, where they are transferred into a static quadrupole trap which is built around the glass cell. During the transport the atoms are deected over a glass prism, which shields the science chamber from stray rubidium from the MOT chamber. The magnetic transport is studied in detail and the deection over the glass prism is fully described simulating the displacement of the quadrupole trap. Using the magnetic quadrupole trap in the science chamber to store one rubidium isotope, we are able to load the other rubidium isotope in the MOT chamber and transfer it also into the science chamber. There, the two magnetic traps are merged and variable ratios of isotopic mixtures can be created. The merging of the two quadrupole traps could be employed in future experiments to cool 85Rb sympathetically with 87Rb. In the science chamber forced radio-frequency evaporation is performed and the loading of a far-detuned dipole trap is studied. Initially the dipole trap is realised as a hybrid trap, a single beam dipole trap in combination with the quadrupole trap. Further studies include the loading of a crossed beam dipole trap. We demonstrate that the apparatus is capable of producing 87Rb condensates. Preliminary studies of 85Rb in the dipole trap are included which hopefully in future will lead to a quantum degenerate gas of 85Rb.
We investigate quantum-mechanical interactions between ultracold rubidium and cesium in an optical trap at temperatures of a few microkelvin. Our results provide, on the one hand, an experimental key to understand the collisional properties and, on the other hand, a tool to control the interspecies interactions. By performing loss measurements we locate several Feshbach resonances, which provide insight into the energy structure of weakly bound RbCs molecules near the dissociation threshold and allow for the production of such heteronuclear Feshbach molecules. In the future we will transfer these loosely-bound molecules into the absolute internal ground state. The availability of ultracold heteronuclear ground state molecules will open the door to investigate phenomena associated with ultracold polar quantum gases. In our new experimental set-up we are able to trap and cool rubidium and cesium atoms in their lowest internal states. First we load both species into a two-color magneto-optical trap, having full control over the single-species atom number. We extend the technique of degenerate Raman-sideband cooling to a two-color version, which is able to simultaneously cool and polarize both rubidium and cesium. Thereafter we load the atoms into a levitated crossed optical dipole trap. Because of the presence of the gradient magnetic field the trap is highly state selective and consequently provides perfect spin-polarization of the sample. Furthermore, a coincidence of the magnetic-moment-to-mass ratios of the two species allows for simultaneous levitation of both, which assures an almost perfect spatial overlap between the species. We perform Feshbach spectroscopy in two different spin channels of the mixture within a magnetic field ranging from 20 to 300G. In the lowest spin combination of the species we locate 23 interspecies Feshbach resonances, while in a higher spin mixture we find 2 resonances. The high number of resonances found within this range of magnetic field is unusual for alkali mixtures. The presence of many resonances points to scattering properties of the mixture, which include higher-order coupling mechanisms. The obtained data on the Feshbach spectroscopy provide, on one hand, fundamental experimental input to characterize the Rb-Cs scattering properties and, on the other hand, identification of possible starting points for the association of ultracold heteronuclear RbCs molecules. In addition we show preliminary results on spectroscopy of the binding energy of RbCs dimers, based on a modulation of the magnetic field. The recently obtained Bose-Einstein condensate of Cs atoms, which represents a benchmark for the performance of the present apparatus, will be discussed as well as the potential pathways towards a double-degenerate mixture. We follow two main goals, first the production of a double Bose-Einstein condensate and, second, the transfer of shallow bound Feshbach molecules to the absolute internal ground state. The production of heteronuclear ground state molecules allows to enter the world of ultracold polar quantum systems.