A robust, high-flux source of laser-cooled ytterbium atoms

Abstract

We present a high-flux source of cold ytterbium atoms that is robust, lightweight and low-maintenance. Our apparatus delivers $10^9$ atoms/s into a 3D magneto-optical trap without requiring water-cooling or high current power supplies. We achieve this by employing a Zeeman slower and a 2D magneto-optical trap fully based on permanent magnets in Halbach configurations. This strategy minimizes mechanical complexity, stray magnetic fields, and heat production while requiring little to no maintenance, making it applicable to both embedded systems that seek to minimize electrical power consumption, and large scale experiments to reduce the complexity of their subsystems.

12 pages, 8 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Atom interferometry with the Sr optical clock transition
• Large Momentum Transfer Clock Atom Interferometry on the 689 nm Intercombination Line of Strontium
• Testing the universality of free fall with rubidium and ytterbium in a very large baseline atom interferometer
• A compact and efficient strontium oven for laser-cooling experiments
• Effusive Atomic Oven Nozzle Design Using an Aligned Microcapillary Array
• Core-Shell Magneto-Optical Trap for Alkaline-Earth-Metal-Like Atoms

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Zeeman slowing of a Group III atom
• Two-color Ytterbium MOT in a compact dual-chamber setup
• Stimulated Slowing of Yb Atoms on the Narrow ${}^1{S}_0{\to }^3{P}_1$ Transition
• A Compact Dual-Beam Zeeman Slower for High-Flux Cold Atoms
• High-flux cold lithium-6 and rubidium-87 atoms from compact two-dimensional magneto-optical traps
• Efficient water-cooled Bitter-type electromagnet for Zeeman slowing in cold-atom experiments