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) magneto-optical 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 1.3×10⁶ atoms, which are almost an order of magnitude higher than using a pure 3D-MOT, are loaded into the 3D-MOT for ²⁰²Hg atoms. This enhanced cold mercury atom source is helpful in increasing the frequency stability of a neutral mercury lattice clock.     

Spin polarization in a freely evolving sample of cold atoms

We have implemented and optimized a technique of spin polarization by optical pumping in a caesium atomic fountain, gaining a nearly fivefold increase in the useful cold atom signal in detection. This allows an improvement of the fountain clock stability without compromising its accuracy. We present a detailed study of optical pumping in a freely evolving cloud of cold caesium atoms: we have investigated theoretically and experimentally the dynamics of the pumping process and the associated heating due to random photon scattering. The heating limits the potential gain in the fountain signal due to an additional cloud expansion. A high degree of spin polarization was achieved with accumulation of up to 97 % of the population in a single magnetic (m _F  = 0) sublevel of the ground state. Factors affecting the achievable spin polarizations, such as the purity of the pumping light polarization and the shadowing effect in the cloud, were considered. This technique may also be used in atom interferometers and for other alkali metal systems.     

利用补偿线圈提高塞曼减速器效率的理论及实验研究

研究了用于锶原子光晶格光钟原子冷却的塞曼减速器,应用增添补偿线圈的方法可以延长减速器的有效减速距离和增大减速器末端的磁场梯度,进而增加一级冷却俘获锶原子的数目,理论分析采用该方法实现的塞曼减速器较使用单一线圈塞曼减速器可以增加31.17%的俘获原子数目;飞行时间法测量了减速前后原子束中原子的速度分布,原子的最可几速度由380m/s降为43m/s,分布线宽相应变窄。荧光法测量俘获原子数目表明在相同实验条件下,应用补偿线圈后磁光阱俘获原子数目从1.26×106提高到1.81×106,增加30.4%。     

Electromagnetically induced transparency in a Zeeman-sublevels Λ-system of cold ~(87)Rb atoms in free space

We report the experimental investigation of electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT) in a Zeeman-sublevelsΛ-type system of cold ~(87)Rb atoms in free space. We use the Zeeman substates of the hyperfine energy states 5~2S_(1/2), F = 2 and 5~2P_(3/2), F = 2 of ~(87)Rb D_2 line to form a Λ-type EIT scheme. The EIT signal is obtained by scanning the probe light over 1 MHz in 4 ms with an 80 MHz arbitrary waveform generator. More than 97% transparency and 100 k Hz EIT window are observed. This EIT scheme is suited for an application of pulsed coherent storage atom clock(Yan B, et al. 2009 Phys.Rev. A 79 063820).     

Automatic compensation of magnetic field for a rubidium space cold atom clock

When the cold atom clock operates in microgravity around the near-earth orbit, its performance will be affected by the fluctuation of magnetic field. A strategy is proposed to suppress the fluctuation of magnetic field by additional coils, whose current is changed accordingly to compensate the magnetic fluctuation by the linear and incremental compensation. The flight model of the cold atom clock is tested in a simulated orbital magnetic environment and the magnetic field fluctuation in the Ramsey cavity is reduced from 17 nT to 2 nT, which implied the uncertainty due to the second order Zeeman shift is reduced to be less than 2×10~(-16). In addition, utilizing the compensation, the magnetic field in the trapping zone can be suppressed from 7.5 μT to less than 0.3 μT to meet the magnetic field requirement of polarization gradients cooling of atoms.     

High-performance coherent population trapping clock based on laser-cooled atoms

We present a coherent population trapping clock system based on laser-cooled $^{87}$Rb atoms. The clock consists of a frequency-stabilized CPT interrogation laser and a cooling laser as well as a compact magneto-optical trap, a high-performance microwave synthesizer, and a signal detection system. The resonance signal in the continuous wave regime exhibits an absorption contrast of $\sim 50$%. In the Ramsey interrogation method, the linewidth of the central fringe is 31.25 Hz. The system achieves fractional frequency stability of ${2.4\times }{{10}}^{{-11}}/\sqrt \tau $, which goes down to ${1.8\times }{{10}}^{{-13}}$ at 20000 s. The results validate that cold atom interrogation can improve the long-term frequency stability of coherent population trapping clocks and holds the potential for developing compact/miniature cold atoms clocks.     

用于原子干涉仪实验的锂原子的塞曼减速与磁光囚禁

为了制备适于原子干涉仪实验的低温锂原子样品,开展了锂原子的塞曼减速及与磁光阱囚禁相关的实验研究.设计并实现了一种结构紧凑的腔体内冷式多级线圈叠加的塞曼减速器,将速度小于600 m/s的7Li原子减速到60 m/s,磁光阱装载速率为5×108/s,囚禁原子数目1×109个,原子团的最低温度约为220±30μK.研究了光学黏胶中7Li原子的寿命与囚禁光频率失谐量的关系.这些结果为进一步开展7Li原子亚多普勒冷却、光势阱蒸发冷却以及原子干涉仪实验奠定了基础.     

Resonant Einstein-de Haas effect in a rubidium condensate

We theoretically consider a spin polarized, optically trapped condensate of 87Rb atoms in F=1. We observe a transfer of atoms to other Zeeman states due to the dipolar interaction which couples the spin and the orbital degrees of freedom. Therefore the transferred atoms acquire an orbital angular momentum. This is a realization of the Einstein-de Haas effect in systems of cold gases. We find resonances which make this phenomenon observable even in very weak dipolar systems, when the Zeeman energy difference on transfer is fully converted to rotational kinetic energy.     

Polarisation-dependent optical pumping for interrogation of a magnetic-field-independent “clock” transition in laser-cooled trapped 87Sr+

We discuss the prospect of using the ⁸⁷Sr⁺ ion as an optical frequency standard. The ion offers a narrow electric quadrupole clock transition which has no first-order Zeeman shifts, and the required wavelengths can be generated with convenient solid-state laser systems. We describe how to cool and probe the ion in zero magnetic field by employing polarisation modulation of the cooling light to avoid coherent population trapping in dark states. The polarisation modulation scheme also provides optical pumping of the ion into the initial state of the narrow clock transition.     

Effect of Zeeman Slower Beam on Loading of a Krypton Magneto-Optical Trap

We report the studies on the effect of Zeeman slower beam power on the loading rate and collision loss rate in an atomic beam loaded krypton magneto-optical trap (MOT). The results show that an increase in Zeeman slower beam power initially increases the MOT loading rate and reduces the background collision loss rate to increase the number of cold atoms in the MOT to an optimum value. With further increase in the Zeeman slower beam power, the number of cold atoms in the MOT decreases due to increased background collision loss rate and decrease in the trap loading rate. However, the cold collision loss rate is observed to remain unaffected by the variation in the Zeeman slower beam power. Therefore, the study emphasizes the need to optimize the Zeeman slower beam power to trap maximum number of cold atoms in an atomic beam loaded MOT.     

强磁场下Cs原子超精细塞曼能级上的光泵浦研究

强磁场中的Ｃｓ原子有较大的超精细塞曼分裂，实验用频率可调谐的窄线宽半导体激光调谐到各超精细塞曼能级上进行光泵浦，利用稳态吸收谱方法研究了原子的光泵浦。表明基态超精细相互作用的碰撞修正项导致的驰豫跃迁是谱形状和电子自旋极化新特征的根缘。同时提出了强场下极化度的一种测量方法。     

Cold atom space clock with counter-propagating atoms

<正>We discuss the feasibility of realizing a cold atom space clock with counter-propagating cold atoms in microgravity.The design of the space clock is based on an atomic beam clock with Ramsey cavity,except that magneto-optical trap(MOT) is placed at each side.Cold atoms are launched simultaneously from the MOTs at both sides of the clock and they move at the counter-direction towards each other.The velocity of the launched atoms is precisely controlled to Ramsauer-Townsend resonance so that no additional collision frequency shift takes place.Such configuration can efficiently cancel the frequency shift resulting from cavity phase shift and increase the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR).     

Kinetic behavior of cold 87Rb atoms in integrating sphere

Kinetic behavior of cold ⁸⁷Rb atoms in integrating sphere is presented under adiabatic release. Decay time of cold atom cloud is deduced by calculation of residual cold atom number evolution under adiabatic release and agrees well with our experimental observation. Number evolutions of residual cold atoms under different kinds of acceleration have been studied in detail. Sequence laser pulse cooling is key technique for the successive operation of cold atom clock. The process of laser pulse cooling is numerically simulated and fitted with experiments, optimized distribution of cooling and dead time to get enough cold atoms is put forward to satisfy the demand of cold atom clock.     

Improvement of the short-term stability of atomic fountain clock with state preparation by two-laser optical pumping

To improve the signal to noise ratio(SNR) and the short-term stability of cesium atomic fountain clocks, the work of two-laser optical pumping is presented theoretically and experimentally. The short-term stability of the NIM6 fountain clock has been improved by preparing more cold atoms in the |F = 4, mF= 0〉 clock state with a shortened cycle time.Two π-polarized laser beams overlapped in the horizontal plane have been applied after launching, one is resonant with|F = 4〉→ |F = 4〉 transition and the other is resonant with |F = 3〉→ |F = 4〉 transition. With optical pumping, the population accumulated in the |mF= 0〉 clock state is improved from 11% to 63%, and the detection signal is increased by a factor of 4.2, the SNR of the clock transition probability and the short-term stability are also improved accordingly.     

Magneto-Optical Trapping of Ytterbium Atoms with a 398.9nm Laser

We report the realization of ytterbium magneto-optical trap （MOT） operating on the dipole-allowed ^1S0 - ^1P1 transition at 398.9nm. The MOT is loaded by a slowed atomic beam produced by a Zeeman slower. All seven stable isotopes of Yb atoms could be trapped separately at different laser detuning values. Over 10^7 174 Yb atoms are collected in the MOT, whereas the atom number of fermionic isotope ^171Yb is roughly 2.3 × 10^6 due to a lower abundance. Without the Zeeman slower the trapped atom numbers are one order of magnitude lower. Both the even and odd isotopes are recognized as excellent candidates of optical clock transition, so the cooling and trapping of ytterbium atoms by the blue MOT is an important step for building an optical clock.     

Nonlinear lensing mechanisms in a cloud of cold atoms

We present an experimental study of nonlinear lensing of near-resonant light by a cloud of laser-cooled rubidium atoms, specifically aimed at understanding the role of the interaction time between the light and the atomic vapor. We identify four different nonlinear mechanisms, each associated with a different time constant: electronic nonlinearity, Zeeman optical pumping, hyperfine optical pumping and radiation pressure. Our observations can be quite accurately reproduced using a simple rate equation model which allows for a straightforward discussion of the various effects. The results are important for planning more refined experiments on transverse nonlinear optics and self-organization in samples of cold atoms.     

Optical state selection process with optical pumping in a cesium atomic fountain clock

We propose and realize a new optical state selection method on a cesium atomic fountain clock by applying a two-laser 3-3' optical pumping configuration to spin polarize atoms. The atoms are prepared in |F=3, m_F=0> clock state with optical pumping directly after being launched up, followed by a pushing beam to push away the atoms remaining in the |F=4> state. With a state selection efficiency exceeding 92%, this optical method can substitute the traditional microwave state selection, and helps to develop a more compact physical package. A Ramsey fringe has been achieved with this optical state selection method, and a contrast of 90% is obtained with a full width half maximum of 0.92 Hz. The short-term frequency stability of 6.8×10^-14 (τ/s)^-1/2 is acquired. In addition, the number of detected atoms is increased by a factor of 1.7 with the optical state selection.     

Optical pumping and population transfer of nuclear-spin states of caesium atoms in high magnetic fields

Nuclear-spin states of gaseous-state Cs atoms in the ground state are optically manipulated using a Ti:sapphire laser in a magnetic field of 1.516T, in which optical coupling of the nuclear-spin states is achieved through hyperfine interactions between electrons and nuclei. The steady-state population distribution in the hyperfine Zeeman sublevels of the ground state is detected by using a tunable diode laser. Furthermore, the state population transfer among the hyperfine Zeeman sublevels, which results from the collision-induced modification \delta a(\bm S \cdot \bm I) of the hyperfine interaction of Cs in the ground state due to stochastic collisions between Cs atoms and buffer-gas molecules, is studied at different buffer-gas pressures. The experimental results show that high-field optical pumping and the small change \delta a(\bm S \cdot \bm I) of the hyperfine interaction can strongly cause the state population transfer and spin-state interchange among the hyperfine Zeeman sublevels. The calculated results maybe explain the steady-state population in hyperfine Zeeman sublevels in terms of rates of optical-pumping, electron-spin flip, nuclear spin flip, and electron-nuclear spin flip-flop transitions among the hyperfine Zeeman sublevels of the ground state of Cs atoms. This method may be applied to the nuclear-spin-based solid-state quantum computation.     

Cooling of rubidium atoms in pulsed diffuse laser light

This paper reports an experiment on laser cooling of 87 Rb atoms in pulsed diffuse light,which is the key step towards a compact cold atom clock.It deduces an empirical formula to simulate the pulse cooling process based on the loading of cold atoms in cooling time and the loss in the dead time,which is in agreement with the experimental data.The formula gives a reference to select the parameters for the cold atom clock.