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.

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.

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.

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.

Efficient cold atom source from a single-layer atom chip

We developed a new single-layer atom chip with an additional U-shaped current-carrying structure.The new U-shaped microwire creates optimized magnetic field distribution,which increases the trapping volume of a magneto-optical trap(MOT) near the chip.Our approach allows one to localize more atoms,while a setup remains relatively simple (single-layer approach) and consumes low current (up to 10 A). The total number of trapped^(87)Rb atoms in our setup is 5×10^(7).

Characterizing optical dipole trap via fluorescence of trapped cesium atoms

Optical dipole trap(ODT)is becoming an important tool of manipulating neu-tral atoms.In this paper ODT is realized with a far-off resonant laser beam strongly fo-cused in the magneto-optical trap(MOT)of cesium atoms.The light shift is measured by simply monitoring the fluorescence of the atoms in the magneto-optical trap and the opti-cal dipole trap simultaneously.The advantages of our experimental scheme are discussed,and the effect of the beam waist and power on the potential of dipole trap as well as heating rate is analyzed.

冷原子EIT介质的原子数目和温度的测量

简要介绍了我们实验组冷却、俘获87Rb原子的磁光阱装置及冷却俘获过程。采用收集荧光法测得了俘获的冷原子数目,并根据冷原子团尺寸推算出了冷原子团密度。通过在冷原子团下方4 mm,7 mm,10 mm三处设置圆柱形探测光束,在原子自由下落过程中获得了短程飞行时间(TOF)吸收信号,通过数值拟合得到了冷原子的温度。结果表明:俘获的冷原子数目大约为109个,密度大约为1011个/cm3,冷却温度约为200μK,该冷原子团能作为很好的EIT介质。

测量冷原子温度的理论与近似拟合公式的误差分析

对短程飞行时间法(tim e-of-flight,TOF)中推算冷原子温度的理论拟合公式与近似拟合公式进行了误差分析与比较。研究表明:对于使用短程飞行吸收光谱信号推测冷原子团温度,当探测光光斑半径与冷原子团高斯半径之比k小于0.2时,理论拟合公式和近似拟合公式能很好的相符,随着探测光光斑半径与冷原子团高斯半径比值的逐渐增大,用近似拟合公式所得TOF吸收信号与用理论拟合公式所得TOF吸收信号的误差也将逐渐增大,当比值为0.5时,用近似拟合公式所得TOF吸收信号的误差将增大到20%。

用短程飞行时间吸收谱对铯磁光阱中冷原子温度的测量

介绍采用短程飞行时间吸收谱测量铯原子磁光阱(MOT)中冷原子温度的基本原理及实验实现.与通常的飞行时间方法不同,采用短程飞行时间吸收谱来测量MOT中冷原子云的温度.在MOT区域正下方若干毫米处入射一束圆柱状共振探测光束(实验中对于h=3mm,5mm,8mm的情况均作了研究),释放冷原子云,在其膨胀和自由下落过程中穿过探测光束,即可由光电探测器测得飞行时间吸收谱,由此推得MOT中冷原子的温度.

一种测量磁光阱中冷原子密度和温度的新方法

报道了对磁光阱中冷铯原子吸收谱的实验观察 ,由于冷原子的多普勒增宽远小于激发态超精细分裂 ,实验观察到三个孤立的吸收峰 (Cs ,6S1/2 ,F =4→ 6P3/2 ,F =3 ,4,5 ) ,其吸收系数比为 3∶7∶12 ,这与相应跃迁振子强度一致。利用吸收信号测量了冷原子云的密度 ,结果与荧光探测法在 10 %的精度内符合 ;用吸收信号测量了冷原子的温度 ,测量结果与用荧光飞行时间法和释放捕捉法的结果吻合。

采用简化的飞行时间荧光成像法测量冷原子样品的等效温度

本文介绍了用于冷原子样品等效温度测量的简化的飞行时间荧光成像法。将用于激光冷却和俘获原子的冷却光,代替标准的飞行时间荧光成像法中额外引入的探测光。在铯原子磁光阱基础上,通过进一步采用偏振梯度冷却技术使冷原子等效温度有效地降低。采用简化的飞行时间荧光成像法测量的铯原子气室磁光阱(光学粘团)的等效温度,典型值为TY≈22.3±2.2μK,TZ≈15.4±2.7μK(TY≈11.6±1.1μK,TZ≈2.8±1.2μK)。本文中的简化飞行时间荧光成像方案,在不牺牲冷原子样品等效温度测量的精度和准确度情况下,更容易在实验中执行和推广,对于应用于冷原子微波原子钟、冷原子光频原子钟、冷原子干涉重力仪等量子精密测量领域,以及采用冷原子样品进一步开展量子光学、量子信息处理等领域的研究工作,具有积极意义和良好的推广价值。

冷原子气体的时频测量——光晶格原子钟

基于冷原子气体的时频测量在近20年里快速发展,引起了人们的广泛关注,其典型代表是基于大量中性原子的光晶格原子钟。利用超稳钟激光同时探测囚禁在光晶格里成千上万个冷原子的钟跃迁信号,光晶格原子钟已实现10^(-18)量级的频率准确度和10^(-17)量级的秒级稳定度,大幅度提高了时频测量的精度。文章概述了光晶格原子钟的发展历史、工作原理、性能评估及应用前景。