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Towards a strontium pyramid MOT

Towards a strontium pyramid MOT. Graham Lochead Durham University http://massey.dur.ac.uk/. Colleagues. Strontium Rydberg experiment. Matt Jones Supervisor. James Millen PhD student. Outline. Overview of strontium Structure and uses Our experiment Aims and achievements Pyramid MOT

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Towards a strontium pyramid MOT

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  1. Towards a strontium pyramid MOT Graham Lochead Durham University http://massey.dur.ac.uk/

  2. Colleagues Strontium Rydberg experiment Matt Jones Supervisor James Millen PhD student

  3. Outline • Overview of strontium • Structure and uses • Our experiment • Aims and achievements • Pyramid MOT • What is a pyramid MOT? • Why is it beneficial? • Our design • Progress so far • Summary

  4. Overview of strontium • Alkaline-earth element • Atomic number 38 • Two electrons in outer shell • Four stable isotopes: • 84 Sr 0.6% I=0 boson • 86 Sr 9.9% I=0 boson • 87 Sr 7% I=9/2 fermion • 88 Sr 82.5% I=0 boson

  5. Overview of strontium: Electronic structure 2 1 0 412 nm 1P1 3P 1D2 461 nm /2p = 32 MHz 689 nm /2p = 7.5 kHz 698nm /2 = 1 mHz 87Sr 1S0 • 1S0 ground state – no x optical pumping • Low decay rate to xxmeta-stable state 3P2 • Broad linewidth for 1S0- 1P1 transition • Intercombination line x for further cooling

  6. Cold atomic uses for strontuim Ultracold atomic plasmas Optical lattice clocks From Killian et al., physics/0612097

  7. Durham strontium experiment Ultracold Rydberg state strontium atoms in an optical lattice

  8. Aims of our experiment Two stage cooling to make ultracold Optical lattice from two counter-propagating beams from same laser (532nm) Excite to a Rydberg state Observe following dynamics Aims

  9. Experimental setup

  10. Achievements Single stage cooling to a MOT at 461nm Labview computer control setup MCP tested

  11. How does the pyramid MOT fit in?

  12. What is a pyramid MOT? Normal (6 beam) MOT Pyramid MOT Three pairs of counter-propagating beams Single beam with four mirror creating the same optical geometry K. J. Weatherill PhD thesis (2007)

  13. Pyramid MOT function Used as cold atomic source

  14. Benefits of a pyramid MOT Size – much smaller than a Zeeman slower Simpler to build than complex magnetic field in ZS Simpler optical alignment than 2D mot or funnel No thermal atoms disrupting experiment

  15. Our pyramid MOT design First strontium pyramid MOT Based on dispensers Novel design

  16. The novelty in our design Source of hot atoms above mirrors to load MOT Hot strontium reacts with glass – coating mirrors Problem Solution • Dispensers below mirrors • Slits where mirrors meet in corners

  17. Novel design

  18. Progress so far Everything designed and ordered Waiting for chamber and mount

  19. Dispenser cell Dispensers used before to create a non-pumped, buffer gasless reference cell E. M. Bridge, et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 80, 013101 (2009)

  20. Second generation dispenser cell New cell becomes optically thick Saturated absorption spectroscopy in new cell

  21. Summary 1P1 3P 2 1 0 1D2 1S0

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