Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT), acting as an efficient method for producing cold atoms from room-temperature atomic vapor, has been widely used to develop atomic sensors. Various compact MOTs using a single laser beam have been reported, simplifying apparatuses and leading to miniaturized devices. Here, we propose single-beam MOTs based on back-to-back pyramidal and conical mirrors. In such back-to-back mirrors, a MOT trapping volume is formed by an incident laser beam, a retroreflected beam, and multiple reflections from the mirror surfaces. We present the design of back-to-back mirrors and a series of compact MOT configurations, with the potential of increasing access to the MOT and simultaneously creating multiple MOTs. We demonstrate a MOT in a back-to-back conical mirror, loading \ensuremath{\sim}1 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{7}$ ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms from background vapor and cooling the atoms to \ensuremath{\sim}7 \textmu{}K using polarization gradients. Single-beam MOTs based on back-to-back mirrors contribute to building compact and scalable cold-atom-based sensors.
Source: Physical Review Applied
DOI: 10.1103/dkbj-8zfx
Authors: Timothy H. Nguyen, Mariam Mchedlidze, Guanghui Su, Balthazar Loglia, Hanbo Yang, Xuejian Wu
Institution: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G5080291376, G7159560831
OpenAlex ID: W4415369605