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A source of slow atoms based on a conical magneto-optical trap

E. S. Aleinikova, D. S. Kupalov, E.V. Ivanchenko

Published Mar 14, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

Currently, the field of quantum frequency standards based on cold atoms is actively developing. Сold atoms underlie the creation of such quantum gravimetric sensors as atomic gravimeters, atomic gradiometers and atomic gyroscopes. One of the key elements of these sensors is the source of cold atoms, which must provide a sufficient flow of cooled atoms. This paper presents the development of a compact source of Rb87 atoms based on a conical magnetooptical trap, which significantly simplifies the optical scheme by replacing the multipath system with a single conical reflector. The developed compact source is used in fountain-type frequency standards. The scheme, principle of operation, design features and experimental characteristics of a source of slow atoms are given. The results of a study of the operating parameters of a source of slow atoms based on a conical magneto-optical trap and the characteristics of its output atomic beam are presented: the estimated number of trapped atoms in the conical region of the trap, the average atomic flow velocity, and the dependence of the characteristics of the output atomic beam on the operating parameters of the trap. These characteristics demonstrate the possibility of using a conical magneto-optical trap as a source of slow atoms in modern fountain-type frequency standards and other atomic sensors.

DOI: 10.32446/0368-1025it.2026-1-80-88

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Currently, the field of quantum frequency standards based on cold atoms is actively developing. Сold atoms underlie the creation of such quantum gravimetric sensors as atomic gravimeters, atomic gradiometers and atomic gyroscopes. One of the key elements of these sensors is the source of cold atoms, which must provide a sufficient flow of cooled atoms. This paper presents the development of a compact source of Rb87 atoms based on a conical magnetooptical trap, which significantly simplifies the optical scheme by replacing the multipath system with a single conical reflector. The developed compact source is used in fountain-type frequency standards. The scheme, principle of operation, design features and experimental characteristics of a source of slow atoms are given. The results of a study of the operating parameters of a source of slow atoms based on a conical magneto-optical trap and the characteristics of its output atomic beam are presented: the estimated number of trapped atoms in the conical region of the trap, the average atomic flow velocity, and the dependence of the characteristics of the output atomic beam on the operating parameters of the trap. These characteristics demonstrate the possibility of using a conical magneto-optical trap as a source of slow atoms in modern fountain-type frequency standards and other atomic sensors.

We describe the design and performance of a slow atom source based on a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT) that uses an innovative simple optical configuration. Metal-coated retro-reflecting prisms replace mirrors and quarter-wave plates so the optical power of the cooling laser beam is recycled. This source has been characterised for three different configurations: with and without transverse magnetic field gradient, and with a pusher beam to obtain a 2D+-MOT. The longitudinal velocity is of the order of 25 m·s−1, with a transverse velocity spread ≤1 m·s−1, while the typical atomic flux density obtained is up to 1.3×1014 at ·s−1·m−2 for a cesium vapour pressure of ~4×10−8 mbar in the source. We use this slow atom beam, instead of cesium vapour, to load a 3D moving optical molasses that feeds a continuous cold atom fountain. We obtain a gain of a factor ~20 in the atomic flux launched by the fountain.

A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT), acting as an efficient method for producing cold atoms from room-temperature atomic vapor, has been widely used to develop atomic sensors. Various compact MOTs using a single laser beam have been reported, simplifying apparatuses and leading to miniaturized devices. Here, we propose single-beam MOTs based on back-to-back pyramidal and conical mirrors. In such back-to-back mirrors, a MOT trapping volume is formed by an incident laser beam, a retroreflected beam, and multiple reflections from the mirror surfaces. We present the design of back-to-back mirrors and a series of compact MOT configurations, with the potential of increasing access to the MOT and simultaneously creating multiple MOTs. We demonstrate a MOT in a back-to-back conical mirror, loading \ensuremath{\sim}1 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}

{10}^{7}

{}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}

atoms from background vapor and cooling the atoms to \ensuremath{\sim}7 \textmu{}K using polarization gradients. Single-beam MOTs based on back-to-back mirrors contribute to building compact and scalable cold-atom-based sensors.

In cold atom physics, the complexity of traditional magneto-optical trap system limits the use of their associated instruments for field applications in atomic physics, such as gravity mapping, space navigation and deep space exploration. This study introduces a novel compact MOT design that addresses these issues by simplifying the structure and reducing the size. The height of the unit is 0.7 m, the volume is 6.3×10−2m3 and the mass is 11.32 kg. The new design utilizes a single laser to generate the two different frequencies needed for laser cooling by internally splitting the beam, shifting the frequency and then combining them, effectively controlling both the cooling and repumping beams. The compact vacuum chamber optical path, in conjunction with the magnetic field, facilitates the capture of 87Rb atoms in an ultra-high vacuum environment. Experimental results demonstrate an atom loading rate of up to 1.79×10787Rb atoms per second, confirming the system’s effectiveness in capturing and cooling 87Rb atoms. This design provides a flexible and portable solution, offering valuable insights for the advancement of compact MOT and its applications in cold atom physics.

We demonstrate sub-Doppler cooling of rubidium (

^{87}

Rb) atoms using a compact, single-beam configuration based on a conical hollow mirror integrated with anti-Helmholtz coils. The conical geometry converts a single incident beam into an effective six-beam magneto-optical trap (MOT) configuration while focusing the light towards the cone axis, thereby reducing the required laser power. The number of atoms in the conical MOT is maximized at an incident intensity of 6.5

\mathrm{mW/cm^2}

in our conical MOT, several times lower than in conventional six-beam MOTs. Under optimal conditions, we trap

\sim 1 \times 10^7

^{87}

Rb atoms. We obtain sub-Doppler temperature of

T_r=13.4\pm 1.2\ \mathrm{μK}

and

T_z=106\pm 11\ \mathrm{μK}

by polarization gradient cooling (PGC), revealing a strong anisotropy that we attribute to the polarization pattern created by the conical mirror. In addition, a modified release-and-recapture measurement in the MOT yields a radial temperature

T_r = 1.20\pm 0.02

mK, approximately five times higher than that expected for comparable light-shift parameters in a six-beam MOT, in agreement with previous simulations. Our results establish conical hollow mirrors as a practical and power-efficient platform for compact cold-atom sources and integrated quantum sensors.