A cold ^(87)Rb atomic beam

We demonstrate an experimental setup for the production of a beam source of cold 87Rb atoms. The atoms are extracted from a trapped cold atomic cloud in an unbalanced three-dimensional magneto-optical trap. Via a radiation pressure difference generated by a specially designed leak tunnel along one trapping laser beam, the atoms are pushed out continuously with low velocities and a high flux. The most-probable velocity in the beam is varied from 9 m/s to 19 m/s by varying the detuning of the trapping laser beams in the magneto-optical trap and the flux can be tuned up to 4× 10^9 s-1 by increasing the intensity of the trapping beams. We also present a simple model for describing the dependence of the beam performance on the magneto optical trap trapping laser intensity and the detuning.

Production and guidance of pulsed atomic beams on chip

We demonstrated two experimental methods of producing and guiding pulsed atomic beams on chip. One is to trap atoms first in a U-type magneto-optical trap on the chip, then transfer them to the magnetic guide field and push them simultaneously by a continuous force from the power imbalance of the magneto-optical trap laser beams hence the pulsed cold atom beams are produced and move along the magnetic guide to the destination. The other is to trap atoms directly by a H-type magneto-optical trap, then push them to make them move along the magnetic guide field, thus high rate cold atom beams can be produced and guided on the chip.

Classical simulation of atomic beam focusing and deposition for atom lithography

We start from the intensity distribution of a standing wave (SW) laser field and deduce the classical equation of atomic motion.The image distortion is analyzed using transfer function approach. Atomic flux density distribution as a function of propagation distance is calculated based on Monte-Carlo scheme and trajectory tracing method.Simulation results have shown that source imperfection,especially beam spread, plays an important role in broadening the feature width,and the focus depth of atom lens for real atomic source is longer than that for perfect source.The ideal focal plane can be easily determined by the variation of atomic density at the minimal potential of the laser field as a function of traveling distance.

Diffracted field distribution from a knife-edge truncated semi-Gaussian beam as an atomic （molecular） mirror

We investigate the diffraction characteristics of an incident Gaussian beam cut by a straight edge bounding a semi-infinite opaque plane using Kirchhoff scalar wave theory in the Fresnel limit, and propose a new and simple mirror scheme to reflect atoms by using the intensity gradient induced by a blue-detuned semi-Gaussian laser beam. The optical potential of the diffracted light of the knife-cut semi-Gaussian beam for 85 Rb atom and its spontaneous emission probability are calculated and compared with the performance of the evanescent-wave mirror. Our study shows that the optical potential of the diffracted light of the semi-Gaussian beam is far higher than that of the evanescent light wave, and the maximum normal velocity of the incident atoms can be far greater than that of the evanescent light wave under the same parameters, so the blue-detuned semioGaussian beam, as a novel atomic mirror, can be used to efficiently reflect cold atoms with a normal velocity of greater than 1 m/s. However, the intensity gradient （force） of the diffracted light of the semi-Gaussian-beam is much smaller than that of the evanescent light wave, so its spontaneous emission probability is greater than that from the evanescent-wave when the normal velocity of incident atoms is greater.

Magnetic focusing of cold atomic beam with a 2D array of current-carrying wires

A new scheme to realize a two-dimensional （2D） array of magnetic micro-lenses for a cold atomic beam. formed by an array of square current-carrying wires, is proposed. We calculate the spatial distributions of the magnetic fields from the array of current-carrying wires and the magnetic focusing potential for cold rubidium atoms, and study the dynamic focusing processes of cold atoms passing through the mag- netic micro-lens array and its focusing properties by using Monte-Carlo simulations and trajectory tracing method. The result shows that the proposed micro-lens array can be used to focus effectively a cold atomic beam, even to load ultracold atoms or a BEC sample into a 2D optical lattice formed by blue detuned hollow beams.

Imaging an atomic beam using fluorescence

A fluorescence detection scheme is applied to image an atomic beam. Using two laser diodes as the sources of detection light and pumping light respectively, the fluorescence image of the atomic beam is then observed by a commercial CCD-camera, which is corresponding to the atomic state and velocity distribution. The detection scheme has a great utilization in the experiments of cold atoms and atomic optics.

Frequency locking of a 399-nm laser referenced to fluorescence spectrum of an ytterbium atomic beam

The laser cooling of ytterbium（Yb） atoms needs a 399-nm laser which operates on the strong1S0-1P1 transition and can be locked at the desired frequencies for different Yb isotopes.We demonstrate a frequency locking method using the fluorescence spectrum of an Yb atomic beam as a frequency reference.For unresolved fluorescence peaks,we make the spectrum of the even isotopes vanish by using the strong angular-dependence of the fluorescence radiations;the remained closely-spaced peaks are thus clearly resolved and able to serve as accurate frequency references.A computer-controlled servo system is used to lock the laser frequency to a single fluorescence peak of interest,and a frequency stability of 304 kHz is achieved.This frequency-locked laser enables us to realize stable blue magneto-optic-traps（MOT） for all abundant Yb isotopes.

Rubidium-beam microwave clock pumped by distributed feedback diode lasers

A rubidium-beam microwave clock, optically pumped by a distributed feedback diode laser, is experimentally investigated. The clock is composed of a physical package, optical systems, and electric servo loops. The physical package realizes the microwave interrogation of a rubidium-atomic beam. The optical systems, equipped with two 780-nm distributed feedback laser diodes, yield light for pumping and detecting. The servo loops control the frequency of a local oscillator with respect to the microwave spectrum. With the experimental systems, the microwave spectrum, which has an amplitude of 4 n A and a line width of 700 Hz, is obtained. Preliminary tests show that the clock short-term frequency stability is 7 × 10^-11 at 1 s, and 3 × 10^-12 at 1000 s. These experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the scheme for a manufactured clock.

A Single Folded Beam Magneto-Optical Trap System for Neutral Mercury Atoms

Mercury is a promising candidate for the optical lattice clock, due to its low sensitivity to the blackbody radiation. We develop a single folded beam magneto-optical trap for the neutral mercury optical lattice clock, with a 253. 7nm frequency quadrupled laser. Up to 1.7 × 10^6 （202Hg） or 1.5 × 10^6 （199Hg） atoms can be captured, and the atom temperature is lowered to 170μK （202Hg） or 50μK （199Hg）. The cold atom signals of all six rich abundant isotopes are observed in this system.

A Slow and Clean Fluorine Atom Beam Source Based on Ultraviolet Laser Photolysis

A slow and clean uorine atom beam source is one of the essential components for the low-collision energy scattering experiment involving uorine atom.In this work,we describe a simple but ef-fective photolysis uorine atom beam source based on ultraviolet laser photolysis,the performance of which was demonstrated by high-resolution time-of-ight spectra from the reactive scattering of F+HD.This beam source paved the way for stud-ies of low energy collisions with uorine atoms.

Enhanced cold mercury atom production with two-dimensional magneto-optical trap

A cold atom source is important for quantum metrology and precision measurement.To reduce the quantum projection noise limit in optical lattice clock,one can increase the number of cold atoms and reduce the dead time by enhancing the loading rate.In this work,we realize an enhanced cold mercury atom source based on a two-dimensional(2D)magnetooptical trap(MOT).The vacuum system is composed of two titanium chambers connected with a differential pumping tube.Two stable cooling laser systems are adopted for the 2D-MOT and the three-dimensional(3D)-MOT,respectively.Using an optimized 2D-MOT and push beam,about 1.3×10^(6)atoms,which are almost an order of magnitude higher than using a pure 3D-MOT,are loaded into the 3D-MOT for202Hg atoms.This enhanced cold mercury atom source is helpful in increasing the frequency stability of a neutral mercury lattice clock.

Intense source of cold cesium atoms based on a two-dimensional magneto–optical trap with independent axial cooling and pushing

We report our studies on an intense source of cold cesium atoms based on a two-dimensional（2D） magneto–optical trap（MOT） with independent axial cooling and pushing.The new-designed source,proposed as 2D-HP MOT,uses hollow laser beams for axial cooling and a thin pushing laser beam to extract a cold atomic beam.With the independent pushing beam,the atomic flux can be substantially optimized.The total atomic flux maximum obtained in the 2D-HP MOT is4.02 × 1010atoms/s,increased by 60 percent compared to the traditional 2D＋MOT in our experiment.Moreover,with the pushing power 10 μW and detuning 0Γ,the 2D-HP MOT can generate a rather intense atomic beam with the concomitant light shift suppressed by a factor of 20.The axial velocity distribution of the cold cesium beams centers at 6.8 m/s with an FMHW of about 2.8 m/s.The dependences of the atomic flux on the pushing power and detuning are studied in detail.The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical model.

Optically spatial information selection with hybridly polarized beam in atomic vapor

Vector beams with spatially variant polarization have attracted much attention in recent years, with potential applications in both classical optics and quantum optics. In this work, we study a polarization selection of spatial intensity distribution by utilizing a hybridly polarized beam as a coupling beam and a circularly polarized beam as a probe beam in87 Rb atom vapor. We experimentally observe that the spatial intensity distribution of the probe beam after passing through atoms can be modulated by the hybridly polarized beam due to the optical pumping effect. Then, the information loaded in the probe beam can be designedly filtrated by an atomic system with a high extinction ratio. A detailed process of the optical pumping effect in our configurations and the corresponding absorption spectra are presented to interpret our experimental results, which can be used for the spatial optical information locally extracted based on an atomic system, which has potential applications in quantum communication and computation.

One-dimensional Doppler laser collimation of chromium beam with a novel pre-collimating scheme

A novel pre-collimating scheme in laser-focused chromium （Cr） atomic deposition is presented. It consists of three apertures, which are one main pre-collimating aperture at centre and two probing apertures with uniform dimension at both sides of the central one. The calculations show that the Cr atomic beam is divided into three parts accordingly after going through this scheme, and the full-width at half-maximum （FWHM） of each part decreases while the peak value increases after one-dimensional （1D） Doppler laser collimation, subsequently. Compared with that before laser collimation, the central part does not have displacement, but each part of the other two has the same displacement to the centre after laser collimation. These phenomena which are agreed with experiment prove that the novel pre-collimating scheme is a feasible means to solve the problem which we cannot observe the collimation of Cr atomic beam after substrate in laser-focused deposition with a pre-collimating scheme of only one aperture, because the atoms will be obstructed completely by the substrate.

Magnetic field measurement on ^(87)Rb atomic fountain clock

An experiment on measuring the magnetic field in Ramsey interaction region of the atomic fountain clock by detecting the Zeeman frequency shift of 87Rb hyperfine transition is presented.By mu-metal shielding and coils compensating,the magnetic fluctuations resulting from asymmetry and instability are less than 10 and 0.025 nT,respectively.The relative frequency uncertainty of atomic fountain clock caused by the magnetic field is less than 5.4×10-16.

Residual frequency drift in an atomic fountain clock

We report a locking mode in which the local oscillator （LO） is locked to an atomic fountain and calibration of the residual frequency drift （RFD）. In this running mode, the locked LO outputs a standard frequency signal, and a short-term fractional frequency stability of 2.7 × 10-13-1/2 is achieved. Due to the frequency drift of the LO in free running mode, a systematic frequency bias, or RFD, exists after being locked by the atomic fountain. We analyze and measure the RFD with a value of -3（2） × 10-16. A sectionalized post-process method is adopted to calibrate the RFD.