Decay rate measurement of lithium in a magneto-optical trap

A detailed account of various experimental techniques developed during the study on the decay rate coefficient of laser trapped ⁷Li atoms are presented. The frequency of a dye laser is stabilized using a simple sealed-off cell specially designed for Li vapor. The accurate number of trapped atoms are obtained by measuring the fluorescence intensity and the population ratio between the ground and the excited states by absorption coefficient measurement. The absolute value of the collisional lossrate coefficient of trapped ⁷Li atoms is determined by analyzing the temporal change of the fluorescence intensity when the supply of the Li beam is turned off.