Related papers: Modeling magneto-optical trapping of CaF molecules
In a recent paper, we have used the dark-spot Zeeman tuned slowing technique [Phys. Rev. A 62, 013404-1, (2000)] to measure the capture velocity as a function of laser intensity for a sodium magneto optical trap. Due to technical limitation…
Optical trapping, where microscopic particles are trapped and manipulated by light is a powerful and widespread technique, with the single-beam gradient trap (also known as optical tweezers) in use for a large number of biological and other…
The majority of molecules proposed for laser cooling and trapping experiments have $\Sigma$-type ground states. Specifically, $^2\Sigma$ states have cycling transitions analogous to D1-lines in alkali-metal atoms while $^1\Sigma$ states…
We study the dynamics of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating at high-bandwidth. We find the absolute importance of high recapture efficiency between cycles to maintain a practical atom number. We develop a simple model accounting for MOT…
We present a theoretical analysis of a novel scheme for optical cooling of particles that does not in principle require a closed optical transition. A tightly confined laser beam interacting with a trapped particle experiences a phase…
We report the realization of a blue-detuned magneto-optical trap (BDM) of BaF molecules. The (1 + 1) type BDM and (1 + 2) type conveyor-belt MOT are explored. While the (1+1) BDM provides only weak trapping force, the conveyor-belt MOT…
Recently, we have experimentally demonstrated a continuous loading mechanism for an optical dipole trap from a guided atomic beam [1]. The observed evolution of the number of atoms and temperature in the trap are consequences of the unusual…
Photophoretic forces, several orders of magnitude stronger than radiation pressure, enable particle trapping at remarkably low optical intensities and have opened pathways to applications in aerosol science, free-space 3D volumetric…
Fast and efficient state preparation of molecules can be accomplished by optical pumping. Molecular structure that most obviously facilitates cycling involves a strong electronic transition, with favorable vibrational branching (diagonal…
We present an experimental, numerical, and analytical study of strontium magneto-optical trap (MOT) loading from a cold atomic beam in a configuration optimized for high numerical aperture optical tweezers. Our approach orients the beam…
Optical trapping and ions combine unique advantages of independently striving fields of research. Light fields can form versatile potential landscapes, such as optical lattices, for neutral and charged atoms, avoiding detrimental…
In weakly bound diatomic molecules, energy levels are closely spaced and thus more susceptible to mixing by magnetic fields than in the constituent atoms. We use this effect to control the strengths of forbidden optical transitions in…
We describe an experimental setup for producing a large cold erbium (Er) sample in a narrow-line magneto-optical trap (MOT) in a simple and efficient way. We implement a pair of angled slowing beams with respect to the Zeeman slower axis,…
Trapping ultracold molecules in conservative traps is essential for applications -- such as quantum state-controlled chemistry, quantum simulations, and quantum information processing. These applications require high densities or…
We realize a mechanical analogue of the Dicke model, achieved by coupling the spin of individual neutral atoms to their quantized motion in an optical trapping potential. The atomic spin states play the role of the electronic states of the…
We simulate the capture process of MgF molecules into a frequency-chirped molecular MOT. Our calculations show that by chirping the frequency, the MOT capture velocity is increased by about of factor of 4 to 80 m/s, allowing for direct…
We show how state-dependent optical potentials can be used to trap a pair of molecules in different internal states at a separation much smaller than the wavelength of the trapping light. This close spacing greatly enhances the…
Trapping of atoms and molecules in electrostatic, magnetic and optical traps has enabled studying atomic and molecular interactions on a timescale of many seconds, allowing observations of ultra-cold collisions and reactions. Here we report…
For laser cooling considerations, we have theoretically investigated the electronic, rovibrational and hypefine structures of BaF molecule. The highly diagonal Franck-Condon factors and the branching ratios for all possible transitions…
We present our technique to create a magneto-optical trap for dysprosium atoms using the narrow-line cooling transition at 626$\,$nm to achieve suitable conditions for direct loading into an optical dipole trap. The magneto-optical trap is…