A dynamic magneto-optical trap for atom chips

Constructing a Magneto-optical Trap for Cold Atom Trapping

Observation of a single atom in a magneto-optical trap.

Fluorescence from Cs atoms in a magneto-optical trap is detected under conditions of very low atomic density. Discrete steps are observed in the fluorescent signal versus time and are associated with the arrival and departure of individual trapped atoms. Histograms of the frequency of occurrence of a given level of fluorescence exhibit a series of uniformly spaced peaks that are attributed to t...

Dynamics in a Two-Level Atom Magneto-Optical Trap

A Magneto-Optical Trap for Polar Molecules

We propose a method for laser cooling and trapping a substantial class of polar molecules, and in particular titanium (II) oxide (TiO). This method uses pulsed electric fields to nonadiabatically remix the ground-state magnetic sublevels of the molecule, allowing us to build a magneto-optical trap (MOT) based on a quasi-cycling J′ = J′′−1 transition. Monte-Carlo simulations of this electrostati...

Cold atom trap with zero residual magnetic field: the ac magneto-optical trap.

A novel atom trap is described using alternating current to generate the magnetic B field, together with high speed polarization switching of the damping laser field. This combination produces a trap as effective as a standard magneto-optical trap (MOT), with the advantage that the average B field is zero. No net current is hence induced in surrounding conductive elements, and the B field produ...