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Efficiency in the loading of a sodium magneto-optical trap from alkali metal dispensers

2008; Elsevier BV; Volume: 281; Issue: 19 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.optcom.2008.06.069

1873-0310

Riaz Muhammad, Jaime Ramirez-Serrano, K. M. F. Magalhães, Rafael R. de Paiva, R. F. Shiozaki, J. Weiner, Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato,

Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research

We study the loading of sodium atoms into a magneto-optical trap from current-controlled sodium metal dispensers. Contrary to what was previously reported [V. Wippel, C. Binder, W. Huber, L. Windholz, M. Allegrini, F. Fuso, E. Arimondo, Eur. Phys. J. D 17 (2001) 285] we demonstrate a significantly higher number of trapped atoms that make Na dispensers a feasible source of atoms for cold-atom studies. The inherent rise in pressure that naturally arises from metal dispensers as they are heated to release atoms is partially controlled by placing the metal dispensers near the pumping port where an ion pump is connected. We also study the effects of placing the sodium dispensers at different distances from the main vacuum chamber where the atoms are trapped and the effectiveness of using a Zeeman slower to cool the atoms as they emerge from the dispensers. We observe trapping of up to 1.9 × 108 atoms, which is significantly higher by almost three orders of magnitude than previously reported experiments.