Construction of a Magneto-Optical Trap to Create Ultracold Rubidium Ensembles
Date
2024
Authors
Snauwaert, Hayden
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Ultracold atoms are a desirable substrate for experiments in quantum optics due to their highly coherent nature. Magneto-Optical Traps (MOTs) are a commonly used apparatus for producing clouds of cold, neutrally charged atoms such as Rubidium. The method relies on the effect of Doppler cooling, where laser light that has been detuned slightly below an atomic resonance results in a net cooling effect on the atoms, and magnetic trapping, where a linear magnetic field gradient results in a position dependent restoring force that traps the desired atoms at a central point. In the UVic AMO lab, we aim to build a MOT that is capable of producing ultracold rubidium clouds with temperatures on the order of 10μK.
Description
Keywords
atomic physics, optics, lasers, ultracold, rubidium, AMO