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Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters

Capture of Thulium Atoms into a Magneto-Optical Trap and Their Detection Using the 530-nm Transition

Daniil I. Provorchenko, A. A. Dvurechenskii, B. A. Bessmertnykh, D. Mishin, Д. О. Трегубов, N. Kolachevsky, Artem A. Golovizin

Published Jun 1, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

The efficient capture of thulium atoms from an atomic beam into a magneto-optical trap at the spectrally narrow 530-nm transition with a natural linewidth of 350 kHz, avoiding the primary cooling stage that is standard in many experiments, has been demonstrated. To optimize the capture parameters, a machine learning method with automated control of the experimental setup and feedback has been used, which has made it possible to achieve more than 75% capture efficiency compared to the previously used configuration. In addition, the number of atoms has been measured using 530-nm probe radiation with the ability to achieve signal-to-noise levels comparable to those obtained with fluorescence detection on the strong 410-nm transition. This significantly reduces the requirements for the 410-nm laser system, which was previously used for primary cooling and detection of atoms, simplifying the experimental setup and paving the way toward transportable thulium optical clocks.

DOI: 10.1134/s0021364026601314

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