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A robust, high-flux source of laser-cooled ytterbium atoms

Wodey, E., Rengelink, R.J., Meiners, C., Ernst Maria Rasel, Schlippert, D.

Published Jan 1, 2021• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a high-flux source of cold ytterbium atoms that is robust, lightweight and low-maintenance. Our apparatus delivers 1 × 109 atoms s−1 into a 3D magneto-optical trap without requiring water cooling or high current power supplies. We achieve this by employing a Zeeman slower and a 2D magneto-optical trap fully based on permanent magnets in Halbach configurations. This strategy minimizes mechanical complexity, stray magnetic fields, and heat production while requiring little to no maintenance, making it applicable to both embedded systems that seek to minimize electrical power consumption, and large scale experiments to reduce the complexity of their subsystems.

DOI
10.15488/14507

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We present a high-flux source of cold ytterbium atoms that is robust, lightweight and low-maintenance. Our apparatus delivers 1 × 109 atoms s−1 into a 3D magneto-optical trap without requiring water cooling or high current power supplies. We achieve this by employing a Zeeman slower and a 2D magneto-optical trap fully based on permanent magnets in Halbach configurations. This strategy minimizes mechanical complexity, stray magnetic fields, and heat production while requiring little to no maintenance, making it applicable to both embedded systems that seek to minimize electrical power consumption, and large scale experiments to reduce the complexity of their subsystems.
We present a high-flux source of cold ytterbium atoms that is robust, lightweight and low-maintenance. Our apparatus delivers 1 × 109 atoms s−1 into a 3D magneto-optical trap without requiring water cooling or high current power supplies. We achieve this by employing a Zeeman slower and a 2D magneto-optical trap fully based on permanent magnets in Halbach configurations. This strategy minimizes mechanical complexity, stray magnetic fields, and heat production while requiring little to no maintenance, making it applicable to both embedded systems that seek to minimize electrical power consumption, and large scale experiments to reduce the complexity of their subsystems.
Abstract We present a high-flux source of cold ytterbium atoms that is robust, lightweight and low-maintenance. Our apparatus delivers 1 × 109 atoms s−1 into a 3D magneto-optical trap without requiring water cooling or high current power supplies. We achieve this by employing a Zeeman slower and a 2D magneto-optical trap fully based on permanent magnets in Halbach configurations. This strategy minimizes mechanical complexity, stray magnetic fields, and heat production while requiring little to no maintenance, making it applicable to both embedded systems that seek to minimize electrical power consumption, and large scale experiments to reduce the complexity of their subsystems.
We describe a simple Zeeman slower design using permanent magnets. Contrary to common wire-wound setups, no electric power and water cooling are required. In addition, the whole system can be assembled and disassembled at will. The magnetic field is however transverse to the atomic motion and an extra repumper laser is necessary. A Halbach configuration of the magnets produces a high quality magnetic field and no further adjustment is needed. After optimization of the laser parameters, the apparatus produces an intense beam of slow and cold (87)Rb atoms. With typical fluxes of (1-5) × 10(10) atoms/s at 30 m s(-1), our apparatus efficiently loads a large magneto-optical trap with more than 10(10) atoms in 1 s, which is an ideal starting point for degenerate quantum gas experiments.
The realization of cold atoms using a compact and low-power-consumption experimental setup is indispensable for cold atom experiments, including optical clocks and quantum simulations. We demonstrate the direct loading of Yb atoms into a 3D magneto-optical trap (MOT) from a dispenser atomic source without using a Zeeman slower. The power consumption of the dispenser was ∼3 W. Spectroscopy of the atomic beam from the dispenser on the 6s2 1S0–6s6p 1P1 Yb transition at 399 nm shows that the flux of the atomic beam reaches 1.4 × 1013 s−1 cm−2. We can load up to 4.1 × 107 atoms into the MOT with slowing and trapping laser powers of 20.3 and 35.0 mW, respectively. The realized cold atom system is reliable and can be adapted for experiments on alkaline earth and other alkaline earth-like atoms.
A compact laser cooling system for transportable optical lattice clocks based on cold 171 Yb atoms has been presented. The system size has been reduced by eliminating the first cooling stage and using compact configurations for the main subsystems of the laser cooling system. A Zeeman slower has been modeled and developed, reducing the velocity of atoms from a thermal source to a level sufficient for their direct capture in a second-stage magneto-optical trap, avoiding the first cooling stage. A method for estimating the number of atoms and their temperature in the magneto-optical trap is presented. The performance of the compact laser cooling system with the developed Zeeman slower has been experimentally confirmed: ~10 6 171 Yb atoms with a temperature of ~35 μK have been collected in ~1 s. The achieved parameters allow for loading of ~4000 atoms into the optical lattice.
We describe the design, construction, and characterization of a permanent-magnet-based, transverse-field Zeeman slower for lithium atoms. We use off-the-shelf, compact permanent bar magnets in the Halbach configuration to create a uniform magnetic field in the transverse direction. We develop a general approach for a mechanical structure that supports the spatial distribution of magnets using 3D printing technology. The approach allows for flexible assembly and dismantling of the magnetic field on the target vacuum system. Finally, we verify that the Zeeman slower supports a high flux of slow atoms in the region of the magneto-optical trap.