Continuous Atom Laser and Atom Interferometry in a Magnetic Atom Guide

Abstract

The objective was to realize a phase- and amplitude-stable, coherent atomic beam. The completed setup allows one to achieve this goal and contains: (1) a Zeeman slower as a primary cold-atom source, (2) a relay magneto-optic trap that collects and cools the atoms, (3) a pusher beam that transfers the atoms in bunches into a (4) magneto-optic injection device, (5) a 1.7m long magnetic atom guide section for continuous evaporative cooling, (6) a condensation and atomic-beam extraction region at the end of the guide, and (7) provisions to perform atom interferometry. Component (4) adiabatically compresses atoms and releases them into (5); it also includes a mechanical atomic-beam shutter for optical insulation of laser-cooling light from the magnetic-guiding section. In (5), the cold-atom flow is continuously cooled via surface adsorption on 21 silicon strips. Final status: Construction of all components and laser systems is complete. Components (1) - (3) have been experimentally tested. The components (4) - (7), while being ready to use, will require considerable human resources for continued work. The project has included a component on photo-ionization, Rydberg atom evolution, and spatially resolved ion detection in magnetic guides as an analytic method for position-resolved BEC and cold-atom imaging. The work on Rydberg guiding and ion detection is complete.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 19, 2012
Accession Number
ADA559775

Entities

People

  • Georg Raithel

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atomic Beams
  • Charged Particles
  • Construction
  • Cooling
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Electron Tubes
  • Engineering
  • Laser Cooling
  • Lasers
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Quantum Information
  • Rydberg Atoms
  • Simulations
  • Students
  • Temperature Gradients

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Quantum spin resonance or Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics