Work

High-flux cold Li 6 and Rb 87 atoms from compact two-dimensional magneto-optical traps

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Integrating two chemically distinct atomic species into a miniaturized, high-flux cold-atom source is a key challenge for modern experiments with ultracold atomic mixtures and polar molecules. Here, we report a compact setup with in-series two-dimensional magneto-optical traps (2D MOTs) that provides high-flux cold lithium and rubidium atoms. Thanks to the efficient short-distance Zeeman slowing, the maximum 3D MOT loading rate of lithium atoms reaches a record value of 6.6 × 10 9 atoms/s at a moderate lithium-oven temperature of 372 degrees Celsius, which is 44 times higher than that without the Zeeman slowing light. The flux of rubidium is also as high as 2.3 × 10 9 atoms/s with the rubidium oven held at room temperature. Meanwhile, the entire vacuum-chamber system, including an ultra-high-vacuum science cell, is within a small volume of 65 × 55 × 70 cm 3 . Our work represents a substantial improvement over traditional bulky and complex dual-species cold-atom setups. It provides a good starting point for the fast production of a double-degenerate lithium-rubidium atomic mixture and large samples of ultracold lithium-rubidium ground-state molecules.

Source: Physical Review A

DOI: 10.1103/g448-4p5n

Authors: Yun-Xuan Lu, An-Wei Zhu, Christine E. Frank, Xin-Yi Huang, Xin-Yu Luo

Institutions: Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,675

Funders: European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft