A large magneto-optical trap of cadmium atoms loaded from a cryogenic buffer gas beam
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arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2025
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| author | Padilla-Castillo, J. E. Hofsäss, S. Palánki, L. Cai, J. Rich, C. J. H. Thomas, R. Kray, S. Meijer, G. Wright, S. C. Truppe, S. |
| author_facet | Padilla-Castillo, J. E. Hofsäss, S. Palánki, L. Cai, J. Rich, C. J. H. Thomas, R. Kray, S. Meijer, G. Wright, S. C. Truppe, S. |
| contents | We demonstrate rapid loading of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of cadmium atoms from a pulsed cryogenic helium buffer gas beam, overcoming strong photoionization losses. Using the $ ^1S_0 \rightarrow{} ^1P_1 $ transition at 229 nm, we capture up to $ 1.1(2) \times 10^7$ $^{112}$Cd atoms in 10 ms, achieving a peak density of $2.5 \times 10^{11}$cm$^{-3}$ and a phase-space density of $ 2 \times 10^{-9} $. The large scattering force in the deep ultraviolet enables Zeeman slowing within 5 cm of the trap, yielding a capture velocity exceeding 200 m/s. We measure the MOT trap frequency and damping constant, and determine the absolute photoionization cross section of the $^1P_1 $ state. Photoionization losses are mitigated via dynamic detuning of the trapping light's frequency, allowing efficient accumulation of multiple atomic pulses. Our results demonstrate the benefits of deep-UV (DUV) transitions and cryogenic beams for loading high-density MOTs, especially for species with significant loss channels in their main cooling cycle. The cadmium MOT provides a robust testbed that benchmarks our DUV laser cooling system and establishes the foundation for trapping and cooling polar AlF molecules, which share many optical and structural properties with Cd. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_01180 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | A large magneto-optical trap of cadmium atoms loaded from a cryogenic buffer gas beam Padilla-Castillo, J. E. Hofsäss, S. Palánki, L. Cai, J. Rich, C. J. H. Thomas, R. Kray, S. Meijer, G. Wright, S. C. Truppe, S. Atomic Physics Quantum Gases We demonstrate rapid loading of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of cadmium atoms from a pulsed cryogenic helium buffer gas beam, overcoming strong photoionization losses. Using the $ ^1S_0 \rightarrow{} ^1P_1 $ transition at 229 nm, we capture up to $ 1.1(2) \times 10^7$ $^{112}$Cd atoms in 10 ms, achieving a peak density of $2.5 \times 10^{11}$cm$^{-3}$ and a phase-space density of $ 2 \times 10^{-9} $. The large scattering force in the deep ultraviolet enables Zeeman slowing within 5 cm of the trap, yielding a capture velocity exceeding 200 m/s. We measure the MOT trap frequency and damping constant, and determine the absolute photoionization cross section of the $^1P_1 $ state. Photoionization losses are mitigated via dynamic detuning of the trapping light's frequency, allowing efficient accumulation of multiple atomic pulses. Our results demonstrate the benefits of deep-UV (DUV) transitions and cryogenic beams for loading high-density MOTs, especially for species with significant loss channels in their main cooling cycle. The cadmium MOT provides a robust testbed that benchmarks our DUV laser cooling system and establishes the foundation for trapping and cooling polar AlF molecules, which share many optical and structural properties with Cd. |
| title | A large magneto-optical trap of cadmium atoms loaded from a cryogenic buffer gas beam |
| topic | Atomic Physics Quantum Gases |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01180 |