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We study the forces and optical pumping within grating magneto-optical traps (MOTs) operating on transitions with non-trivial level structure. In contrast to the standard six-beam MOT configuration, rate equation modelling predicts that the…
We characterise an efficient optically-heated neutral atom source for ion trapping. We observe loading rates of up to $24(3)\,\mathrm{s}^{-1}$ with heating powers below $85\,\mathrm{mW}$, and demonstrate loading of a single ion in under…
We study several new magneto-optical trapping configurations in $^{87}$Rb. These unconventional MOTs all use type-II transitions, where the angular momentum of the ground state is greater than or equal to that of the excited state, and they…
Spectroscopic studies of few-body systems at ultracold temperatures provide valuable information that often cannot be extracted in a hot environment. Considering a pair of atoms, we propose a cooling mechanism that makes use of a scattering…
We report on the isotope shift between ${}^{88}$Sr and ${}^{87}$Sr on the ${}^1S_0 - {}^3P_0$ clock transitions. The interleaved operation of an optical lattice clock with two isotopes allows the canceling out of common perturbations, such…
We demonstrate for the first time the two-color cooling and trapping of alkaline-earth atoms in a grating magneto-optical trap (gMOT). The trap is formed by a single incident laser beam together with four secondary beams that are generated…
In most experiments with atoms trapped in optical lattices, the transverse size of the optical lattice beams is on the order of tens of micrometers, and loading many atoms into smaller optical lattices has not been carefully investigated.…
This work theoretically addresses the trapping an ionized atom with a single valence electron by means of lasers, analyzing qualitatively and quantitatively the consequences of the net charge of the particle. In our model, the coupling…
We report on high-resolution optical spectroscopy of interacting bosonic $^{174}$Yb atoms in deep optical lattices with negligible tunneling. We prepare Mott insulator phases with singly- and doubly-occupied isolated sites and probe the…
A magneto-optical trap (MOT) of atoms or molecules is studied when two lasers of different detunings and polarization are used. Especially for $J\rightarrow J,J-1$ transitions, a scheme using more than one frequency per transition and…
We present a novel method for reducing the inhomogeneous frequency broadening in the hyperfine splitting of the ground state of optically trapped atoms. This reduction is achieved by the addition of a weak light field, spatially…
We investigate a solid-state, reversible, alkali-ion battery (AIB) capable of regulating the density of alkali atoms in a vacuum system used for the production of laser-cooled atoms. The cold-atom sample can be used with in-vacuum…
We investigate collisional loss in an ultracold mixture of $^{40}$K$^{87}$Rb molecules and $^{87}$Rb atoms, where chemical reactions between the two species are energetically forbidden. Through direct detection of the KRb$_{2}^{*}$…
We utilize the combination of two standard trapping techniques, a magnetic trap and an optical trap in a Raman setup, to propose a versatile and tunable trap for cold atoms. The created potential provides several advantages over…
Transporting charged particles between different traps has become an important feature in high-precision spectroscopy experiments of different types. In many experiments in atomic and molecular physics, the optical probing of the ions is…
We investigate the interplay of temperature and trap effects in cold particle systems at their quantum critical regime, such as cold bosonic atoms in optical lattices at the transitions between Mott-insulator and superfluid phases. The…
In recent years, cold atoms could prove their scientific impact not only on ground but in microgravity environments such as the drop tower in Bremen, sounding rockets and parabolic flights. We investigate the preparation of cold atoms in an…
We report an experimental apparatus and technique which simultaneously traps ions and cold atoms with spatial overlap. Such an apparatus is motivated by the study of ion-atom processes at temperatures ranging from hot to ultra-cold. This…
We report the measurement of collision rate coefficient for collisions between ultracold Cs atoms and low energy Cs+ ions. The experiments are performed in a hybrid trap consisting of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for Cs atoms and a Paul…
The isotope ratio, 85Rb/87Rb, places constraints on models of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements, but there is no precise determination of the ratio for material beyond the Solar System. We report the first measurement of the…