Laser systems for ultracold atoms and molecules
Abstract
This DURIP proposal requests advanced laser systems for our DoD funded research on ultracold atoms and molecules. Our research program searches for new forms of quantum matter including quantum magnetism and synthetic gauge fields, and creates ultracold molecules and studies their quantum chemistry.For our explorations of magnetic ordering in optical lattices we have found limitations of the widely used infrared lasers for optical lattices due to high frequency intensity noise. We request funding for lasers with a master-oscillator power-amplifier design which are very stable in frequency and intensity. We have clear experimental evidence that the reduced noise is crucialfor longer lifetimes of lithium atoms in optical lattices.For our molecular work, we want to acquire a customized titanium sapphire laser which hasbeen modified to operate in the short wavelength part of the gain profile. This laser will overlap with the lithium atomic resonance and will be used for photoassociation spectroscopy and species dependent trapping enhancing the production of molecules. This laser was developed by personal contact with the manufacturer and can be used for various experiments onultracold lithium atoms beyond the molecular work on sodium lithium molecules.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 23, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141613141
Entities
People
- Wolfgang Ketterle
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy