An apparatus for studying interactions between Rydberg atoms and metal surfaces

ultracold atoms;Rydberg atoms;atom chip;laser cooling;magneto-optical trap;atomic molecular optical physics;Physics

Carter, Jeffrey David

University of Waterloo

关键词: ultracold atoms;    Rydberg atoms;    atom chip;    laser cooling;    magneto-optical trap;    atomic molecular optical physics;    Physics;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/3339/1/J_Carter_Masters.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

A system suitable for studying interactions between ⁸⁷Rb Rydberg atoms and metal surfaces has been constructed. This thesis describes the design and construction of the apparatus, and some test results. Atoms in a vapor cell magneto-optical trap are transferred to a macroscopic Ioffe-Pritchard trap, where they will be RF evaporatively cooled and loaded into a magnetic microtrap (atom chip). Confinement of cold clouds at controllable distances (5–200 μm)} from a metal surface is possible. The effects of atom-surface interactions can be studied with Rydberg atom spectroscopy. Some functionality of the apparatus has been demonstrated. Approximately 1.5×10⁷ atoms were loaded into a mirror MOT, and about 6×10⁶ atoms were optically pumped to the |F=2, m_F=2> hyperfine ground state and confined in a macroscopic Ioffe-Pritchard trap. The temperature of the cloud in the trap was 42 ± 5 μK, and the 1/e lifetime is 1–1.5 s. Forced RF evaporation has been used to measure the magnetic field at the trap minimum, but RF evaporative cooling has not yet been demonstrated.