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Compact magneto-optical sources of slow atoms

Yuri B. Ovchinnikov
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Abstract

Three different configurations of compact magneto-optical sources of slow Rb atoms(LVIS, 2D(+)-MOT and 2D-MOT) were compared with each other at fixed geometry of cooling laser beams. A precise control of the intensity balances between the four separate transverse cooling laser beams provided a total continuous flux of cold atoms from the LVIS and 2D(+)-MOT sources about 8x10^9 atoms/s at total laser power of 60 mW. The flux was measured directly from the loading rate of a 3D-MOT, placed 34 cm downstream from the sources. Average velocities of the cooled atomic beam for the LVIS and 2D(+)-MOT sources were about 8.5 m/s and 11 m/s respectively. An essential advantage of the compact magneto-optical sources is that their background flux of thermal atoms is two to three orders of the magnitude smaller than the flux of slow atoms.

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Yuri B. Ovchinnikov. 2005-02-04. Compact magneto-optical sources of slow atoms. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2005.01.047

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