Matter-Wave Interferometry with Laser Cooled Atoms
Abstract
The matter wave source for this experiment will be a cold beam of rubidium atoms leaving an atomic funnel. The funnel uses two-dimensional magneto-optic trapping to achieve transverse cooling as well as spatial compression of the beam. With laser beams from all six directions, the atoms are also cooled, but not trapped, along the axis of the magnetic field. We have two ideas we are pursuing for loading atoms into the funnel. The first is to use atoms from the thermal (200 deg C) beam which are cooled longitudinally with chirped laser cooling. The second is to use a room temperature vapor cell and load atoms from the low velocity tail of the Maxwellian distribution. The second idea would simplify the experiment since the chirped laser cooling could be skipped. The question is whether the vapor cell funnel can produce a beam as intense as the funnel loaded from the cooled atomic beam.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA254000
Entities
People
- David McIntyre
Organizations
- Oregon State University