Work

Compact structures for single-beam magneto-optical trapping of ytterbium

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: At present, the best optical lattice clocks are based on the spectroscopy of trapped alkaline-earth-like atoms such as ytterbium and strontium. The development of mobile or even space-borne clocks necessitates concepts for the compact laser-cooling and trapping of these atoms with reduced laser requirements. Here, we present two compact and robust achromatic mirror structures for single-beam magneto-optical trapping of alkaline-earth-like atoms using two widely separated optical cooling frequencies. We have compared the trapping and cooling performance of a monolithic aluminum structure that generates a conventional trap geometry to a quasi-planar platform based on a periodic mirror structure for different isotopes of Yb. Compared to prior work with strontium in non-conventional traps, where only bosons were trapped on a narrow line transition, we demonstrate two-stage cooling and trapping of a fermionic alkaline-earth-like isotope in a single-beam quasi-planar structure.

Source: Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI: 10.1063/5.0203308

Authors: J. Pick, R. Schwarz, J. Kruse, C. Lisdat, C. Klempt

Institutions: Leibniz University Hannover, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Frequency and Time Standards

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

Awards: G40493870, EXC 2123: QuantumFrontiers Licht und Materie an der Quantengrenze, G5313880671, G745383156