Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: This thesis presents progress on a path to Rubidium-85 Feshbach molecules that could be used for magnetometery and other experiments. An apparatus including a magneto-optical trap, magnetic trap, and dual laser dipole trap has been modified for studies of the 155 G Feshbach resonance and associated production of ultracold Rubidium-85 molecules. Modifications include changes in the optical pumping technique to spin-polarize Rubidium-85 atoms in the F=2, mF =-2 hyperfine state. In addition, we constructed a dual 6.8 GHz and 3.0 GHz source and a 3 GHz microwave amplifier to evaporatively cool Rubidium-87 and Rubidium-85 and allow for more control of the atomic spin. These modifications and techniques will aid in manipulating the atomic spins in future experiments. As an example, we perform microwave spectroscopy on Rubidium-85 atoms from which we infer a residual magnetic field in the MOT cell of 170 +/- 5 mG. We also found the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = 0> transition to have a Rabi Frequency of 8.9 +/- 0.5 kHz, the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = -1> transition to have a Rabi frequency of 10.1 +/- 0.5 kHz, and the |F=2, mF = 0> to |F=3, mF = +1> transition to have a Rabi frequency of 11.0 +/- 0.5 kHz.
Author: Elana Urbach
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W632565977