No Arabic abstract
We present a thorough analysis of a Zeeman slower for sodium atoms made of permanent magnets in a Halbach configuration. Due to the orientation of the magnetic field, the polarisation of the slowing laser beam cannot be purely circular leading to optical leakages into dark states. To circumvent this effect, we propose an atomic state preparation stage able to significantly increase the performances of the Zeeman slower. After a careful theoretical analysis of the problem, we experimentally implement an optical pumping stage leading to an increase of the magneto-optical trap loading rate by 3.5. Such method is easy to set up and could be extended to other Zeeman slower architectures.
We present a novel slowing scheme for beams of laser-coolable diatomic molecules reminiscent of Zeeman slowing of atomic beams. The scheme results in efficient compression of the 1-dimensional velocity distribution to velocities trappable by magnetic or magneto-optical traps. 3D Monte Carlo simulations for the prototype molecule $^{88}mathrm{Sr}^{19}mathrm{F}$ and experiments in an atomic testbed demonstrate a performance comparable to traditional atomic Zeeman slowing and an enhancement of flux below v=35 m/s by a factor of $approx 20$ compared to white-light slowing. This is the first experimentally shown continuous and dissipative slowing technique in molecule-like level structures, promising to provide the missing link for the preparation of large ultracold molecular ensembles.
We report on an investigation of a method that applies simultaneously two different mathematical models in order to optimize the design of a Zeeman Slower towards the implementation of ultra cold atoms in solid state physics. We introduce the implementation of a finite element simulation that allows us to predict with great accuracy the magnetic field intensity profile generated by the proposed design. Through the prediction of the behavior of the Zeeman Slower a greater control is acquired, which allows the optimization of the different experimental variables. We applied the method in the design of a multilayer solenoidal Spin-Flip Zeeman Slower for strontium atoms. The magnetic intensity profile generated by the Zeeman Slower is in agreement with the magnetic field strength profile necessary for the atom cooling and tends to zero in both end sides. The latter terms are essential in order to optimize the amount of trapped and cooled atoms.
We describe the design, construction and operation of a versatile dual-species Zeeman slower for both Cs and Yb, which is easily adaptable for use with other alkali metals and alkaline earths. With the aid of analytic models and numerical simulation of decelerator action, we highlight several real-world problems affecting the performance of a slower and discuss effective solutions. To capture Yb into a magneto-optical trap (MOT), we use the broad $^1S_0$ to $^1P_1$ transition at 399 nm for the slower and the narrow $^1S_0$ to $^3P_1$ intercombination line at 556 nm for the MOT. The Cs MOT and slower both use the D2 line ($6^2S_{1/2}$ to $6^2P_{3/2}$) at 852 nm. We demonstrate that within a few seconds the Zeeman slower loads more than $10^9$ Yb atoms and $10^8$ Cs atoms into their respective MOTs. These are ideal starting numbers for further experiments on ultracold mixtures and molecules.
We report on the implementation of a dynamically configurable, servomotor- controlled, permanent magnet Zeeman slower for quantum optics experiments with ultracold atoms and molecules. This atom slower allows for switching between magnetic field profiles that are designed for different atomic species. Additionally, through feedback on the atom trapping rate, we demonstrate that computer-controlled genetic optimization algorithms applied to the magnet positions can be used in situ to obtain field profiles that maximize the trapping rate for any given experimental conditions. The device is lightweight, remotely controlled, and consumes no power in steady state; it is a step toward automated control of quantum optics experiments.
Zeeman deceleration is an experimental technique in which inhomogeneous, time-dependent magnetic fields generated inside an array of solenoid coils are used to manipulate the velocity of a supersonic beam. A 12-stage Zeeman decelerator has been built and characterized using hydrogen atoms as a test system. The instrument has several original features including the possibility to replace each deceleration coil individually. In this article, we give a detailed description of the experimental setup, and illustrate its performance. We demonstrate that the overall acceptance in a Zeeman decelerator can be significantly increased with only minor changes to the setup itself. This is achieved by applying a rather low, anti-parallel magnetic field in one of the solenoid coils that forms a temporally varying quadrupole field, and improves particle confinement in the transverse direction. The results are reproduced by three-dimensional numerical particle trajectory simulations thus allowing for a rigorous analysis of the experimental data. The findings suggest the use of a modified coil configuration to improve transverse focusing during the deceleration process.