Fast and efficient preparation of 1D chains and dense cold atomic clouds

Abstract

We report the efficient and fast ($\sim 2\mathrm{Hz}$) preparation of randomly loaded 1D chains of individual ${}^{87}$Rb atoms and of dense atomic clouds trapped in optical tweezers using a new experimental platform. This platform is designed for the study of both structured and disordered atomic systems in free space. It is composed of two high-resolution optical systems perpendicular to each other, enhancing observation and manipulation capabilities. The setup includes a dynamically controllable telescope, which we use to vary the tweezer beam waist. A D1 $\Lambda$-enhanced gray molasses enhances the loading of the traps from a magneto-optical trap. Using these tools, we prepare chains of up to $\sim 100$ atoms separated by $\sim 1\mu \mathrm{m}$ by retro-reflecting the tweezer light, hence producing a 1D optical lattice with strong transverse confinement. Dense atomic clouds with peak densities up to $n_0=10^{15}\mathrm{at}/{\mathrm{cm}}^3$ are obtained by compression of an initial cloud. This high density results into interatomic distances smaller than $\lambda /(2\pi )$ for the D2 optical transitions, making it ideal to study light-induced interactions in dense samples.

References in corpus (9)

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• Optical transport and manipulation of an ultracold atomic cloud using focus-tunable lenses

Cited by in corpus (2)

• From superradiance to subradiance: exploring the many-body Dicke ladder
• Engineering analog quantum chemistry Hamiltonians using cold atoms in optical lattices