Intense source of cold cesium atoms based on a two-dimensional magneto–optical trap with independent axial cooling and pushing

We report our studies on an intense source of cold cesium atoms based on a two-dimensional(2D) magneto–optical trap(MOT) with independent axial cooling and pushing.The new-designed source,proposed as 2D-HP MOT,uses hollow laser beams for axial cooling and a thin pushing laser beam to extract a cold atomic beam.With the independent pushing beam,the atomic flux can be substantially optimized.The total atomic flux maximum obtained in the 2D-HP MOT is4.02 × 1010atoms/s,increased by 60 percent compared to the traditional 2D+MOT in our experiment.Moreover,with the pushing power 10 μW and detuning 0Γ,the 2D-HP MOT can generate a rather intense atomic beam with the concomitant light shift suppressed by a factor of 20.The axial velocity distribution of the cold cesium beams centers at 6.8 m/s with an FMHW of about 2.8 m/s.The dependences of the atomic flux on the pushing power and detuning are studied in detail.The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical model.     

A cold cesium atomic beam produced out of a pyramidal funnel

We have built an atomic funnel which produces a slow and cold cesium atomic beam. The atomic funnel is based on a pyramidal Magneto Optical Trap (MOT) with a small hole at its apex. Characterization of the funnel operation has been carried out by fluorescence emission and absorption spectroscopy, and optical time of flight (TOF) methods. The atomic beam has a longitudinal velocity in the range 8–12 m/s and a spread less than 1.5 m/s. The transverse temperature is close to the Doppler limit. Typically, an atom flux 4×10⁹ atoms/s is attained. These features, combined with the compactness and simplicity of the experimental arrangement, make this system an ideal source for experiments in atom lithography and atom optics.     

以慢原子束方式进行原子转移的双磁光阱系统

建立了一套用于玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚实验的铷原子双磁光阱装置.从低速强源中获得慢原子束，向超高真空磁光阱进行原子转移.低速强源磁光阱与超高真空磁光阱之间可维持3个量级的压强差,超高真空磁光阱的真空度最高可达1×10^-9 Pa. 慢原子束的束流通量达1×10⁹/s. 约4×10⁸个⁸⁷Rb原子被装载到超高真空磁光阱中.还讨论了两种典型情况下磁光阱中装载的最大原子数.     

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.     

Continuous transfer and laser guiding between two cold atom traps

We have demonstrated and modeled a simple and efficient method to transfer atoms from a first Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) to a second one. Two independent setups, with cesium and rubidium atoms respectively, have shown that a high power and slightly diverging laser beam optimizes the transfer between the two traps when its frequency is red-detuned from the atomic transition. This pushing laser extracts a continuous beam of slow and cold atoms out of the first MOT and also provides a guiding to the second one through the dipolar force. In order to optimize the transfer efficiency, the dependence of the atomic flux on the pushing laser parameters (power, detuning, divergence and waist) is investigated. The atomic flux is found to be proportional to the first MOT loading rate. Experimentally, the transfer efficiency reaches 70%, corresponding to a transfer rate up to 2.7×10⁸ atoms/s with a final velocity of 5.5 m/s. We present a simple analysis of the atomic motion inside the pushing–guiding laser, in good agreement with the experimental data.     

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.     

A cold 87Rb 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 4×10⁹ 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.     

A continuous cold atomic beam from a magneto-optical trap

We have developed and characterized a new method to produce a continuous beam of cold atoms from a standard vapour-cell magneto-optical trap (MOT). The experimental apparatus is very simple. Using a single laser beam it is possible to hollow out in the source MOT a direction of unbalanced radiation pressure along which cold atoms can be accelerated out of the trap. The transverse cooling process that takes place during the extraction reduces the beam divergence. The atomic beam is used to load a magneto-optical trap operating in an ultra-high vacuum environment. At a vapour pressure of 10^-8mbar in the loading cell, we have produced a continuous flux of 7×10⁷atoms/s at the recapture cell with a mean velocity of 14 m/s. A comparison of this method with a pulsed transfer scheme is presented. Received 19 February 2001     

Characterization of a velocity-tunable 87Rb cold atomic source with a high-speed imaging technology

This paper has developed and characterized a method to produce a velocity-tunable 87 Rb cold atomic source for atomic interferometry application.Using a high speed fluorescence imaging technology,it reports that the dynamic process of the atomic source formation is observed and the source performances including the flux and the initial velocity are characterized.A tunable atomic source with the initial velocity of 1.4～2.6 m/s and the atomic source flux of 2 × 10 8 ～ 6 × 10 9 atoms/s has been obtained with the built experimental setup.     

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 ～2×10⁷ atoms/s. About 5×10⁶ caesium atoms are recaptured in the UHV MOT.     

锶玻色子的“魔术”波长光晶格装载实验研究

光晶格中性原子光钟的不确定度已达到10^-18量级. 本文介绍了碱土金属锶原子玻色子⁸⁸Sr在“魔术”波长处的一维光晶格装载, 实现冷锶原子的囚禁并使锶原子的钟跃迁能级(5s²) ¹S₀-(5s5p) ³P₀在此波长处的交流斯塔克光频移一致. 实验中半导体激光器产生“魔术”光波长(813 nm), 通过实验搭建光学驻波场并获得晶格激光聚焦光束, 束腰半径为38 μm. 经过一级冷却和二级冷却后温度约为2 μK的冷锶原子被此“魔术”波长光晶格囚禁. 通过实验测量得到锶原子玻色子⁸⁸Sr光晶格寿命为270 ms, 数目约为1.2×10⁵, 温度在3.5 μK左右, 此外研究了晶格光功率对晶格囚禁原子数目及温度的影响作用. 原子的光晶格装载为后续的钟跃迁提供了长的探测时间, 为进一步的光钟闭环提供了实验基础.     

An atom faucet

We present a simple and efficient source of slow atoms. From a background vapour loaded magneto-optical trap (MOT), a thin laser beam extracts a continuous jet of cold rubidium atoms. The jet that is typical to leaking MOT systems is created without any optical parts placed inside the vacuum chamber. We also present a simple three dimensional numerical simulation of the atomic motion in the presence of these multiple saturating laser fields combined with the inhomogeneous magnetic field of the MOT. At a pressure of P _Rb87 = 10^-8 mbar and with a moderate laser power of 10 mW per beam, we generate a flux Φ = 1.3×10⁸ atoms/s with a mean velocity of 14 m/s and a divergence of 10 mrad. Received 13 January 2001     

Production of cold CN molecules by photodissociating ICN precursors in brute-force field

We theoretically investigate the production of cold CN molecules by photodissociating ICN precursors in a brute-force field. The energy shifts and adiabatic orientation of the rotational ICN precursors are first investigated as a function of the external field strength. The dynamical photofragmentation of ICN precursors is numerically simulated for cases with and without orienting field. The CN products are compared in terms of their velocity distributions. A small portion of the CN fragments are recoiled to near zero speed in the lab frame by appropriately selecting the photo energy for dissociation. With a precursor ICN molecular beam of ～ 1.5 K in rotational temperature, the production of low speed CN fragments can be improved by more than 5 times when an orienting electrical field of 100 k V/cm is present. The corresponding production rate for decelerated fragments with speeds ≤ 50 m/s is simulated to be about ～2.1×10~(-4) and CN number densities of 10~(8) –10~(10) cm~(-3) can be reached with precursor ICN densities of ～10~(12) –10~(14) cm~(-3) from supersonic expansion.     

高准确度的钙离子光频标

近年来,冷原子技术和激光技术促进了高精度光频标的发展,有望在建立时间基准、推动基础研究和满足国家需求等方面发挥重要的作用.本文介绍了中国科学院武汉物理与数学研究所近年来在高准确度钙离子(~(40)Ca~+)光频标研究方面的进展:采用新的ULE腔系统,实现了729 nm钟跃迁激光器1—100 s的频率稳定度均优于2×10~(-15),通过对外场和环境效应的控制及克服,特别是囚禁离子运动效应的抑制,获得单个钙离子光频标的不确定度优于5.5×10~(-17);通过两台光频标的比对,测得20000 s的稳定度也进入10~(-17)量级;基于高精度钙离子光频标平台,进行了相关精密测量的工作,包括:基于全球定位系统的超高精度远程光频绝对值测量方案,第二次测量了钙离子的光频跃迁绝对值,该测量结果再次被国际时间频率咨询委员会采纳,更新了钙离子的频率推荐值;精确测量了钙离子的钟跃迁魔幻波长,由此提出新型的全光囚禁离子光频标的方法;精密测量了钙离子的亚稳态寿命等参数.以上工作推动了基于冷原子的精密测量工作.     

An intense cold beam of metastable helium

We have produced and characterised a slow, bright and intense atomic beam of metastable helium atoms, suitable for atomic physics experiments. The maximum continuous flux attained was 2×10¹⁰ atoms/s, while a typical longitudinal peak velocity of the beam was ∼26 m/s with a divergence in the range of 15 mrad to 30 mrad. PACS 32.80.Pj; 32.80.Lg; 39.10.+j     

小型化锶光钟物理系统的研制

光钟物理系统的小型化是制约可搬运光钟及空间冷原子光钟发展的重要因素.主要介绍了小型化锶原子光钟物理系统的研制实验.采用真空腔内置反亥姆霍兹线圈,构建一个小电流、低功耗及小体积的磁光阱.实验中测得真空线圈通电电流仅为2 A时,磁光阱中心区域轴向磁场梯度可达到43 Gs/cm,完全满足锶原子多普勒冷却与俘获对磁场梯度的要求.目前已经成功将锶原子光钟物理系统体积缩小至60 cm×20 cm×15 cm,约为实验室原锶光钟物理系统体积的1/10,并且实现了锶原子的一级冷却,测得俘获区冷原子团的直径为1.5 mm,温度约为10.6 mK.锶同位素~(88)Sr和~(87)Sr的冷原子数目分别为1.6×10~6和1.5×10~5.重抽运激光707和679 nm的加入,消除了冷原子在~3P_2和~3P_0两能态上的堆积,最终可将冷原子数目提高5倍以上.     

Loading of a cold atomic beam into a magnetic guide

We demonstrate experimentally the continuous and pulsed loading of a slow and cold atomic beam into a magnetic guide. The slow beam is produced using a vapor loaded laser trap, which ensures two-dimensional magneto-optical trapping, as well as cooling by a moving molasses along the third direction. It provides a continuous flux larger than 10⁹ atoms/s with an adjustable mean velocity ranging from 0.3 to 3 m/s, and with longitudinal and transverse temperatures smaller than 100 μK. Up to 3×10⁸ atoms/s are injected into the magnetic guide and subsequently guided over a distance of 40 cm. Received 19 February 2002 Published online 28 June 2002     

kHz激光与固体靶相互作用产生的X射线源

利用kHz激光与固体靶相互作用产生了平均流强为1.3×10⁷ photons·sr^-1·s^-1的X射线源, 研究了激光的对比度和能量对激光与固体靶相互作用产生的X射线能谱及K_α 产额的影响, 使用刀边成像技术测量了X射线源的源尺寸, 并进行了初步的成像实验. 实验中观察到对于非相对论级别的激光脉冲, 降低激光的对比度有利于提高K_α 产额, 而使用高对比度高强度激光, 更有利于获得高通量高信噪比X射线源. 关键词： kHz激光 固体靶 X射线     

电离辐射对部分耗尽绝缘体上硅器件低频噪声特性的影响

本文针对辐射前后部分耗尽结构绝缘体上硅(SOI)器件的电学特性与低频噪声特性开展试验研究. 受辐射诱生埋氧化层固定电荷与界面态的影响, 当辐射总剂量达到1 M rad(Si) (1 rad = 10^-2 Gy)条件下, SOI器件背栅阈值电压从44.72 V 减小至12.88 V、表面电子有效迁移率从473.7 cm²/V·s降低至419.8 cm²/V· s、亚阈斜率从2.47 V/dec增加至3.93 V/dec; 基于辐射前后亚阈斜率及阈值电压的变化, 可提取得到辐射诱生界面态与氧化层固定电荷密度分别为5.33×10¹¹ cm^{- 2}与2.36×10¹² cm^-2. 受辐射在埋氧化层-硅界面处诱生边界陷阱、氧化层固定电荷与界面态的影响, 辐射后埋氧化层-硅界面处电子被陷阱俘获/释放的行为加剧, 造成SOI 器件背栅平带电压噪声功率谱密度由7×10^{- 10} V²·Hz^-1增加至1.8×10^-9 V² ·Hz^-1; 基于载流子数随机涨落模型可提取得到辐射前后SOI器件埋氧化层界面附近缺陷态密度之和约为1.42×10¹⁷ cm^-3·eV^-1和3.66×10¹⁷ cm^-3·eV^-1. 考虑隧穿削弱因子、隧穿距离与时间常数之间关系, 本文计算得到辐射前后埋氧化层内陷阱电荷密度随空间分布的变化.     

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.