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.

Compact magneto-optical traps using planar optics

Magneto-optical traps (MOTs) composed of magnetic fields and light fields have been widely utilized to cool andconfine microscopic particles. Practical technology applications require miniaturized MOTs. The advancement of planaroptics has promoted the development of compact MOTs. In this article, we review the development of compact MOTs basedon planar optics. First, we introduce the standardMOTs. We then introduce the gratingMOTs with micron structures, whichhave been used to build cold atomic clocks, cold atomic interferometers, and ultra-cold sources. Further, we introducethe integrated MOTs based on nano-scale metasurfaces. These new compact MOTs greatly reduce volume and powerconsumption, and provide new opportunities for fundamental research and practical applications.

Single atoms transferring between a magneto-optical trap and a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap

Based on our work on single cesium atoms trapped in a large-magnetic-gradient vapour-cell magneto-optical trap （MOT）, the signal-to-noise ratio （SNR） is remarkably improved. Also a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap （FORT） formed by a strongly-focused 1064 nm single frequency Nd：YVO4 laser beam is introduced. One cesium atom is prepared in the MOT, and then it can transfer successfully between the MOT and the FORT which is overlapped with the MOT. Utilizing the effective transfer, the lifetime of single atoms trapped in the FORT is measured to be 6.9± 0.3 s. Thus we provide a system where the atomic qubit can be coherently manipulated.

Observation of single neutral atoms in a large-magnetic-gradient vapour-cell magneto-optical trap

Single caesium atoms in a large-magnetic-gradient vapour-cell magneto-optical trap have been identified. The trapping of individual atoms is marked by the steps in fluorescence signal corresponding to the capture or loss of single atoms. The typical magnetic gradient is about 29 mT/cm, which evidently reduces the capture rate of magneto-optical trap.

Continuously transferring cold atoms in caesium double magneto-optical trap

We have established a caesium double magneto-optical trap （MOT） system for cavity-QED experiment, and demonstrated the continuous transfer of cold caesium atoms from the vapour-cell MOT with a pressure of - 1 × 10^-6 Pa to the ultra-high-vacuum （UHV） MOT with a pressure of - 8 × 10^-8 Pa via a focused continuous-wave transfer laser beam. The effect of frequency detuning as well as the intensity of the transfer beam is systematically investigated, which makes the transverse cooling adequate before the atoms leak out of the vapour-cell MOT to reduce divergence of the cold atomic beam. The typical cold atomic flux got from vapour-cell MOT is - 2 × 10^7 atoms/s. About 5 × 10^6 caesium atoms are recaptured in the UHV MOT.

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.

Dependence of loading time on control parameters in a standard vapour-oaded magneto-optical trap

Loading time is one of the most important dynamic characteristics of a magneto-optical trap. In this paper, we primarily report on a detailed experimental study of the effects of some magneto-optical trap control parameters on loading time, including the background vacuum pressure, the magnetic field gradient, and the intensities of trapping and repumping lasers. We compare the results with previous theoretical and experimental results, and give qualitative analysis. These experimental investigations offer some useful guidelines to coatrol the loading time of magneto-optical traps. The controllable loading time achieved is helpful to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of photoassociation spectroscopy, which is remarkably improved from 7 to 28.6.

BaF radical： A promising candidate for laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping

Recently, there have been great interest and advancement in the field of laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of molecules. The rich internal structure of molecules naturally lends themselves to extensive and exciting applications. In this paper, the radical 138Ba19F, as a promising candidate for laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping, is discussed in detail.The highly diagonal Franck-Condon factors between theX2∑＋1/2and A2∏1/2states are first confirmed with three different methods. Afterwards, with the effective Hamiltonian approach and irreducible tensor theory, the hypertine structure of theX2∑＋1/2state is calculated accurately. A scheme for laser cooling is given clearly. Besides, the Zeeman effects of the upper （ A2∏1/2）andlower（X2∑＋1/2）levels are also studied, and their respective g factors are obtained under a weak magnetic field. Its large g factor of the upper stateA2∏1/2is advantageous for magneto-optical trapping. Finally, by studying Stark effect of BaFin theX2∑＋1/2, we investigate the dependence of the internal effective electric field on the applied electric field. It is suggested that such a laser-cooled BaF is also a promising candidate for precision measurement of electron electric dipole moment.

Investigation of ultracold atoms and molecules in a dark magneto-optical trap

In this paper, ultracold atoms and molecules in a dark magneto-optical trap （MOT） are studied via depumping the cesium cold atoms into the dark hyperfine ground state. The collision rate is reduced to 0.45 s-1 and the density of the atoms is increased to 5.6 × 1011 cm-3 when the fractional population of the atoms in the bright hyperfine ground state is as low as 0.15. The vibrational spectra of the ultracold cesium molecules are also studied in a standard MOT and in a dark MOT separately. The experimental results are analyzed by using the perturbative quantum approach.

Light-induced evaporative cooling in a magneto-optical trap

This paper presents an experimental demonstration of light-induced evaporative cooling in a magneto-optical trap. An additional laser is used to interact with atoms at the edge of the atomic cloud in the trap. These atoms get an additional force and evaporated away from the trap by both the magnetic field and laser fields. The remaining atoms have lower kinetic energy and thus are cooled. It reports the measurements on the temperature and atomic number after the evaporative cooling with different parameters including the distance between the laser and the centre of the atomic cloud, the detuning, the intensity. The results show that the light-induced evaporative cooling is a way to generate an ultra-cold atom source.

Microwave-mediated magneto-optical trap for polar molecules

Realizing a molecular magneto-optical trap has been a dream for cold molecular physicists for a long time. However,due to the complex energy levels and the small effective Lande g-factor of the excited states, the traditional magneto-optical trap（MOT） scheme does not work very well for polar molecules. One way to overcome this problem is the switching MOT,which requires very fast switching of both the magnetic field and the laser polarizations. Switching laser polarizations is relatively easy, but fast switching of the magnetic field is experimentally challenging. Here we propose an alternative approach, the microwave-mediated MOT, which requires a slight change of the current experimental setup to solve the problem. We calculate the MOT force and compare it with the traditional MOT and the switching MOT scheme. The results show that we can operate a good MOT with this simple setup.

Variational Monte Carlo analysis of Bose-Einstein condensation in a two-dimensional trap

The ground-state properties of a system with a small number of interacting bosons over a wide range of densities are investigated. The system is confined in a two-dimensional isotropic harmonic trap, where the interaction between bosons is treated as a hard-core potential. By using variational Monte Carlo method, we diagonalize the one-body density matrix of the system to obtain the ground-state energy, condensate wavefunction and the condensate fraction. We find that in the dilute limit the depletion of central condensate in the 2D system is larger than in a 3D system for the same interaction strength; however as the density increases, the depletion at the centre of 2D trap will be equal to or even lower than that at the centre of 3D trap, which is in agreement with the anticipated in Thomas-Fermi approximation. In addition, in the 2D system the total condensate depletion is still larger than in a 3D system for the same scattering length.

Coupled Two-Dimensional Atomic Oscillation in an Anharmonic Trap

In atomic dynamics, oscillation Mong different axes can be studied separately in the harmonic trap. When the trap is not harmonic, motion in different directions may couple together. In this work, we observe a two- dimensional oscillation by exciting atoms in one direction, where the atoms are transferred to an anharmonic region. Theoretical calculations are coincident to the experimental results. These oscillations in two dimensions not only can be used to measure trap parameters but also have potential applications in atomic interferometry and precise measurements.

On the possibility of self-trapping transition of acoustic polarons in two dimensions

A 2D electron-longitudinal-acoustic-phonon interaction Hamiltonian is derived and used to calculate the groundstate energy of the acoustic polarons in two dimensions. The numerical results for the ground-state energy of the acoustic polarons in two and three dimensions are obtained. The 3D results agree with those obtained by using the Feynman path-integral approach. It is found that the critical coupling constant of the transition from the quasifree state to the self-trapped state in the 2D case is much smaller than in the 3D case for a given cutoff wave-vector. The theory has been used to judge the possibility of the self-trapping for several real materials. The results indicate that the self-trappings of the electrons in AlN and the holes in AlN and GaN are expected to be observed in 2D systems.

Off－line Two－Dimensional Gas Chromatography－Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Essential Oil of Medicinal Herb──Use of Absorption Trap

he use of an absorption trap off-line two-dimensional gas chromatography (2-DGC) in conjunction with a mass spectrometer greatly improved the separation andidefitification of minor constituents of a complex mixture such as a natural essentialoil. The absorption trap device used as an interface of 2-DGC offered the advantageof convenient manipulation.

Zeeman slowing atoms using the magnetic field from a magneto-optical trap

We study a Zeeman slower using the magnetic field generated by a pair of coils for a magneto-optical trap. The efficiency of the Zeeman slower is shown to be dependent on the intensity and frequency detuning of the laser light for slowing the atoms. With the help of numerical analysis, optimal experimental parameters are explored.Experimentally, the optimal frequency detuning and intensity of the slowing beam are explored, and 4 × 10~7 ytterbium atoms are trapped in the magneto-optical trap.

Two-dimensional novel optical lattices with multi-well traps for cold atoms or molecules

We propose some new schemes to constitute two-dimensional （2D） array of multi-well optical dipole traps for cold atoms （or molecules） by using an optical system consisting of a binary 7r-phase grating and a 2D array of rectangle microlens. We calculate the intensity distribution of each optical well in 2D array of multi-well traps and its geometric parameters and so on. The proposed 2D array of multi-well traps can be used to form novel 2D optical lattices with cold atoms （or molecules）, and form various novel optical crystals with cold atoms （or molecules）, or to perform quantum computing and quantum information processing on an atom chip, even to realize an array of all-optical multi-well atomic （or molecular） Bose- Einstein condensates （BECs） on an all-optical integrated atom （or molecule） chip.

Two-color cesium magneto-optical trap with 6S1/2-6P3/2-7S1/2(852 nm ＋ 1470 nm) ladder-type system

A 1470 nm＋ 852 nm two-color（TC） cesium（Cs） magneto-optical trap（MOT） with a 6S_（1/2）-6P_（3/2）-7S_（1/2） laddertype system is proposed and experimentally investigated. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report about the 1470 nm ＋ 852 nm Cs TC-MOT. One of the three pairs of the 852 nm cooling and trapping beams（CTBs） in a conventional Cs MOT is replaced with a pair of the 1470 nm CTBs. Thus, the TC-MOT partially employs the optical radiation forces from photon scattering of the 6P_（3∕2）（F＇= 5）-7S_（1∕2）（F＇＇= 4） excited-state transition（1470 nm）. This TC-MOT can cool and trap Cs atoms on both the red-and blue-detuning sides of the twophoton resonance. This work may have applications in cooling and trapping of atoms using inconvenient wavelengths and background-free detection of cold and trapped Cs atoms.

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.

On-line parallel reversed phase two-dimensional liquid chromatography for high-throughput analysis of complex proteomic samples

A comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatographic system (2D SCX/RP) is con- structed with a 10-port-2-way valve using strong cation exchange chromatography (Hypersil SCX, 100 mm×4.6 mm I.D.) followed by reversed phase chromatography (Hypersil BDS C18, 15 mm×4.6 mm I.D.) to separate the complex peptides from globin peptic hydrolysate. After the sample was loaded on the SCX column, the phosphate buffer (pH 4.0) was used to elute the peptides. Then, elutes flowed through the interface and the peptides focused on the head of the trapping columns (Hypersil BDS C18, 15 mm×4.6 mm I.D.) but salt passed into the waste. After the valve was switched, the samples were flushed with a backward flow into the RP analytical column. The peptides on the SCX were eluted with 12 discontinuous steps linearly increasing salt concentrations. The peptides enriched on the trapping column were desalted and separated by the RP columns. The resolution and the resolved peaks of the 2D SCX/RP system were greatly increased and the total peak capacity reached as high as 2280.