Laser manipulation of atomic beam velocities: Demonstration of stopped atoms and velocity reversal

Continuous cold rubidium atomic beam with enhanced flux and tunable velocity

We present a cold atomic beam source based on a two-dimensional (2D)+ magneto-optical trap (MOT), capable of generating a continuous cold beam of 87Rb atoms with a flux up to 4.3 × 109 s-1, a mean velocity of 10.96(2.20) m/s, and a transverse temperature of 16.90(1.56) µK. Investigating the influence of high cooling laser intensity, we observe a significant population loss of atoms to hyperfine-level dark states. To account for this, we employ a multiple hyperfine level model to calculate the cooling efficiency associated with the population in dark states, subsequently modifying the scattering force. Simulations of beam flux at different cooling and repumping laser intensities using the modified scattering force are in agreement with experimental results. Optimizing repumping and cooling intensities enhances the flux by 50%. The influence of phase modulation on both the pushing and cooling lasers is experimentally studied, revealing that the mean velocity of cold atoms can be tuned from 9.5 m/s to 14.6 m/s with a phase-modulated pushing laser. The versatility of this continuous beam source, featuring high flux, controlled velocity, and narrow transverse temperature, renders it valuable for applications in atom interferometers and clocks, ultimately enhancing bandwidth, sensitivity, and signal contrast in these devices.

Bright focused ion beam sources based on laser-cooled atoms

Nanoscale focused ion beams (FIBs) represent one of the most useful tools in nanotechnology, enabling nanofabrication via milling and gas-assisted deposition, microscopy and microanalysis, and selective, spatially resolved doping of materials. Recently, a new type of FIB source has emerged, which uses ionization of laser cooled neutral atoms to produce the ion beam. The extremely cold temperatures attainable with laser cooling (in the range of 100 μK or below) result in a beam of ions with a very small transverse velocity distribution. This corresponds to a source with extremely high brightness that rivals or may even exceed the brightness of the industry standard Ga+ liquid metal ion source. In this review we discuss the context of ion beam technology in which these new ion sources can play a role, their principles of operation, and some examples of recent demonstrations. The field is relatively new, so only a few applications have been demonstrated, most notably low energy ion microscopy with Li ions. Nevertheless, a number of promising new approaches have been proposed and/or demonstrated, suggesting that a rapid evolution of this type of source is likely in the near future.

Atomic cooling via AC Stark shift

We theoretically investigate atomic cooling using a spatially varying AC Stark shift to compensate for the changing Doppler shift of an unchirped cooling beam. An integrated approach using waveguide-based atom photonics is ideal to achieve the required spatial tailoring of the AC Stark beam intensity. We present two examples of the design procedure to cool sodium atoms in hollow-core antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides over tens of centimeters resulting in final velocities comparable to a Zeeman slower. The methods presented here are applicable to other experimental arrangements and atomic species.

Creation of quantum-degenerate gases of ytterbium in a compact 2D-/3D-magneto-optical trap setup

We report on the first experimental setup based on a 2D-/3D-magneto-optical trap (MOT) scheme to create both Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases of several ytterbium isotopes. Our setup does not require a Zeeman slower and offers the flexibility to simultaneously produce ultracold samples of other atomic species. Furthermore, the extraordinary optical access favors future experiments in optical lattices. A 2D-MOT on the strong (1)S0 → (1)P1 transition captures ytterbium directly from a dispenser of atoms and loads a 3D-MOT on the narrow (1)S0 → (3)P1 intercombination transition. Subsequently, atoms are transferred to a crossed optical dipole trap and cooled evaporatively to quantum degeneracy.

Laser manipulation of atoms and particles

A variety of powerful techniques to control the position and velocity of neutral particles has been developed. As examples of this new ability, lasers have been used to construct a variety of traps, to cool atoms to temperatures below 3 x 10(-6) kelvin, and to create atomic fountains that may give us a hundredfold increase in the accuracy of atomic clocks. Bacteria can be held with laser traps while they are being viewed in an optical microscope, and organelles within a cell can be manipulated without puncturing the cell wall. Single molecules of DNA can now be stretched out and pinned down in a water solution with optical traps. These new capabilities may soon be applied to a wide variety of scientific questions as diverse as precision measurements of fundamental symmetries in physics and the study of biochemistry on a single molecule basis.

High Resolution FTIR and Diode Laser Supersonic Jet Spectroscopy of the N = 2 HF Stretching Polyad in (HF)2 and (HFDF): Hydrogen Bond Switching and Predissociation Dynamics

We report Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and high resolution diode laser spectra (∼ 1MHz instrumental bandwidth) obtained in cooled absorption cells as well as in a supersonic jet expansion for the N = 2 polyad region of the HF-stretching vibrations of (HF)2, HFDF and DFHF. Three vibrational transitions have been observed for (HF)2 and two for both monodeuterated isotopomers. For (HF)2 we have identified and analysed the observed transitions of the polyad member 22 of the type Δ K a = 0 and Δ K a = ± 1 up to rotational sublevel Δ K a = 3. Band centers as well as rotational constants of all four K a states have been determined. The tunneling splittings due to hydrogen bond switching for these four K a states have been investigated, with the Δ K a = 0 up to Δ K a = 2 sublevels having tunneling symmetry Γ vt = A + for the lower tunneling states, and switching periods ranging from 158ps for K a = 0 to 1.35ns for K a = 2. A tunneling level inversion is found at Δ K a = 3, leading to a symmetry Γ vt = B + for the lower tunneling state of this K a-sublevel. The vibrational assignment of the measured spectra of (HF)2 was established by comparison with the monodeuterated isotopomers HFDF and DFHF. For HFDF we have identified and analysed five subbands between 7600cm-1 and 7730cm-1. We have determined the spectroscopic constants of the rotational levels Δ K a = 0 and Δ K a = 1 for the vibrationally excited state and of the levels of Δ K a = 1 and Δ K a = 2 of the ground state, the latter from combination differences. From the measurements in a supersonic jet expansion we determined the predissociation line width of the N = 22, K a = 1 to be about 120MHz for the Γ vt = A + tunneling state of (HF)2 and about 90MHz for Γ vt = B +. For the Δ K a = 0 level of N = 22 we obtained predissociation line widths ranging around 100MHz, similar to those of the Δ K a = 1 level. In the case of HFDF, the predissociation line width of Δ K a = 1 is about 80MHz. Predissociation lifetimes for these levels with the unbonded HF stretching excited thus are in the range of about 1 to 2ns. The predissociation width in the N = 21 level is uncertain by about a factor three with lg(Δν/MHz) = (3 ± 0.5) and in N = 23 it is about 600MHz corresponding to rounded lifetimes of 0.1ns and 0.3ns when the bonded HF stretching is excited thereby demonstrating strongly mode selective predissociation rates in the N = 2 polyad. Under thermal equilibrium conditions we derived the pressure broadening coefficient for (HF)2 (γ = (6 ± 1) × 10-4cm-1/mbar in the wavenumber range between 7713cm-1 and 7721cm-1 for total gas pressures between 10 and 60mbar, all values as full widths half maximum). For absolute frequency calibrations we have remeasured the first overtone transitions of the monomer HF with much improved precision between P(5) (7515.80151cm-1) and R(7) (7966.22188cm-1).

Optical trapping and manipulation of neutral particles using lasers

The techniques of optical trapping and manipulation of neutral particles by lasers provide unique means to control the dynamics of small particles. These new experimental methods have played a revolutionary role in areas of the physical and biological sciences. This paper reviews the early developments in the field leading to the demonstration of cooling and trapping of neutral atoms in atomic physics and to the first use of optical tweezers traps in biology. Some further major achievements of these rapidly developing methods also are considered.

Method for increasing the velocity acceptance of stimulated laser cooling

A new method is proposed for laser cooling atoms with Doppler shifts an order of magnitude larger than the homogeneous linewidth of the atomic transition. Two traveling waves cross at an oblique angle and form long-wavelength standing waves. The resulting broadband stimulated cooling forces are predicted to stop 0.1% of the flux of a 500-K atomic sodium beam in a distance of 300 microm and a time of a few microseconds. This is more than 100 times faster than current methods.

Four-beam laser trap of neutral atoms

An efficient spontaneous-force laser trap of neutral atoms without standing waves is demonstrated by using the Ne 1s(5) metastable state. The metastable Ne beam is decelerated by a laser by using Zeeman tuning and is trapped in a trap consisting of a quadrupole magnetic field and four laserbeams in a tetrahedral configuration. The dynamics of atomic motion from the deceleration stage to the trap is discussed.

Evidence for laser cooling in a magnesium atomic beam

Laser cooling in a Mg atomic beam is reported for the first time to our knowledge. Previous cooling experiments were performed by using visible or infrared lasers. The Mg atoms were cooled by using an intracavity frequency-doubled dye laser at 285 nm to reach the resonant (1)S(0)-(1)P(1) transition. Evidence of laser cooling was obtained even with the limited available laser power ( approximately 1-2 mW).

Observation of the cesium clock transition in laser-cooled atoms

We have used the light from diode lasers to produce a nearly stationary (upsilon ~ 15 cm/sec) sample of atomic cesium in optical molasses that is entirely in the F = 3 hyperfine state. In this sample we excite the 9.2-GHz 6SF = 3, m = 0 to F = 4, m = 0 clock transition. Most of the atoms remain for ~20 msec in the 0.4-cm(3) observation region. We observe that transitions take place by monitoring the fluorescence when the atoms are illuminated with light tuned to the 6S F = 4 to 6P(3/2)F = 5 transition. Rabi resonance linewidths of less than 50 Hz are obtained.

Cooling, Stopping, and Trapping Atoms

Significant advances have been made in the ability to control the motion of neutral atoms. Cooling and trapping atoms present new possibilities for studies of ultracold atoms and atomic interactions. The techniques of laser cooling and deceleration of atomic beams, magnetic and laser trapping of neutral atoms, and a number of recent advances in the use of radiative forces to manipulate atoms are reviewed.