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arXiv:physics/0309034 · Physical Review A

Efficient magneto-optical trapping of Yb atoms with a violet laser diode

Chang Yong Park, Tai Hyun Yoon

Published Nov 11, 2003• 49 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We report an efficient trapping of rare-earth-metal Yb atoms with a high-power violet laser diode (LD). An injection-locked violet LD with a 25-mW frequency-stabilized output was used for the magneto-optical trapping (MOT) of fermionic as well as bosonic Yb isotopes. A typical number of $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}$ atoms for ${}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ with a trap density of $\ensuremath{\sim}1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ was obtained. A 10-mW violet external-cavity LD was used for the one-dimensional slowing of an effusive Yb atomic beam without a Zeeman slower resulting in a 35-fold increase in the number of trapped atoms. The overall characteristics of our compact violet MOT, e.g., the loss time of 1 s, the loading time of 400 ms, and the cloud temperature of 0.7 mK, are comparable to those in previously reported violet Yb MOTs, yet with a greatly reduced cost and complexity of the experiment.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.68.055401

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arXiv:1310.3239•New Journal of Physics•Jun 30, 2014•34 citations
We report an efficient trapping of rare-earth-metal Yb atoms with a high-power violet laser diode (LD). An injection-locked violet LD with a 25-mW frequency-stabilized output was used for the magneto-optical trapping (MOT) of fermionic as well as bosonic Yb isotopes. A typical number of 4\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1064\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}4\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi106 atoms for 174Yb{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb}174Yb with a trap density of \ensuremath∼1\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi108cm\ensuremath−3\ensuremath{\sim}1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\ensuremath∼1\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi108cm\ensuremath−3 was obtained. A 10-mW violet external-cavity LD was used for the one-dimensional slowing of an effusive Yb atomic beam without a Zeeman slower resulting in a 35-fold increase in the number of trapped atoms. The overall characteristics of our compact violet MOT, e.g., the loss time of 1 s, the loading time of 400 ms, and the cloud temperature of 0.7 mK, are comparable to those in previously reported violet Yb MOTs, yet with a greatly reduced cost and complexity of the experiment.
We report the realization of ytterbium magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating on the dipole-allowed 1 S 0 — 1 P 1 transition at 398.9 nm. The MOT is loaded by a slowed atomic beam produced by a Zeeman slower. All seven stable isotopes of Yb atoms could be trapped separately at different laser detuning values. Over 10 7 174 Yb atoms are collected in the MOT, whereas the atom number of fermionic isotope 171 Yb is roughly 2.3 × 10 6 due to a lower abundance. Without the Zeeman slower, the trapped atom numbers are one order of magnitude lower. Both the even and odd isotopes are recognized as excellent candidates of optical clock transition, so the cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms by the blue MOT is an important step for building an optical clock.
We report the experimental realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of 174 Yb atoms operating on the 1 So− 3 P 1 intercombination transition at 555.8 nm. The green MOT is loaded by a Zeeman-slowed atomic beam. In order to increase the capture velocity of the MOT, we use the trapping laser beams consisting of five discrete frequency components obtained by modulating the laser light through an electro-optic modulator. The trapped atomic number of the 174 Yb isotope is about 6.2 × 10 5 , and the temperature of the cold atomic cloud is estimated to be about 100 μK. The success of the green MOT is an important step towards the goal of an ytterbium optical clock.
This thesis presents progress toward the production of ultracold CsYb molecules. To this end, an apparatus capable of producing magneto optical traps of Yb and Cs was designed, built and tested. Both atoms are produced in a dual species oven and both slowed to low speeds by a single Zeeman slower. From the Zeeman slower atoms are captured in a dual-species magneto-optical trap. To cool caesium the 852 nm D2 transition is addressed by two lasers for cooling and repump. For ytterbium the 399 nm 1S0 ⇒ 1P1 transition is addressed for the Zeeman slower and the 556 nm 1S0 ⇒ 3P1 transition is addressed for the magneto-optical trap. The 399 nm light is produced by two homebuilt diode lasers in an injection-seeding setup, which can produce up to 100 mW. The 556 nm light is produced from a commercial frequency doubled fiber laser, which can produce up to 260 mW. The Zeeman slower is characterised experimentally for both Cs and Yb, and the results compared to those of a numerical simulation of the slower for Yb. The velocity distribution exiting the slower is very sensitive to the exact magnetic field profile, the laser power and detuning of the laser light. The number of atoms loaded into the magneto-optical trap was investigated as a function of the magnetic field gradient, the laser power and the laser detuning. The capture velocity of the Yb MOT is small because the linewidth of the MOT transition is narrow, and so we investigated the influence of broadening the laser linewidth by adding multiple finely-spaced sidebands to the laser light. After optimisation the caesium MOT trapped 5.5 ×10^8 atoms at 125 ± 4 μK. The ytterbium MOT trapped 4.7 ×10^9 atoms at 81 ± 2 μK. Lastly we demonstrate that both MOTs can be produced in the same vacuum chamber simultaneously.
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.
We report the magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium atoms using the ${6s}^{2}{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{-}6s6p{}^{3}{P}_{1}$ intercombination transition. The magneto-optical trap is continuously loaded from an atomic beam decelerated by a Zeeman-tuned atomic-beam slower operated at the ${6s}^{2}{}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{-}6s6p{}^{1}{P}_{1}$ transition. Among seven stable isotopes of ytterbium, six isotopes of170Yb,\mathrm{of}{ }^{170}\mathrm{Y}\mathrm{b},of170Yb, 171Yb,{}^{171}\mathrm{Yb},171Yb, 172Yb,{}^{172}\mathrm{Yb},172Yb, 173Yb,{}^{173}\mathrm{Yb},173Yb, 174Yb,{}^{174}\mathrm{Yb},174Yb, and 176Yb{}^{176}\mathrm{Yb}176Yb are successfully trapped. The number and density of the trapped atoms are about 108{10}^{8}108 and ${10}^{11} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3},$ respectively. The temperature of atoms is estimated to be about $20 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ from the time-of-flight measurement. The decay time of the trapped atoms after stopping the loading of atoms is about 3 s.
Direct loading of lanthanide atoms into magneto-optical traps (MOTs) from a very slow cryogenic buffer gas beam source is achieved, without the need for laser slowing. The beam source has an average forward velocity of 60– and a velocity half-width of , which allows for direct MOT loading of Yb, Tm, Er and Ho. Residual helium background gas originating from the beam results in a maximum trap lifetime of about 80 ms (with Yb). The addition of a single-frequency slowing laser applied to the Yb in the buffer gas beam increases the number of trapped Yb atoms to with a loading rate of . Decay to metastable states is observed for all trapped species and decay rates are measured. Extension of this approach to the loading of molecules into a MOT is discussed.