An atom chip for the manipulation of ultracold atoms

Cherry, Owen; Carter, J. D. CarterJ.; Martin, J. D. D.

doi:10.1139/p09-043

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Approaches directed toward the confinement of Rydberg atoms in the vicinity of surfaces have involved Rydberg photoexcitation in miniature vapor cells [49], and in close proximity to arrays of surface-based permanent-magnet traps [135]. Atom chips have also been developed with Rydberg photoexcitation in the strong dipole-blockade regime in mind [136,137], and for the realisation of sources of single atoms on demand [138].…”

Section: Chip-based Guides Decelerators and Trapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rydberg-Stark deceleration of atoms and molecules

Hogan

2016

EPJ Techn Instrum

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The large electric dipole moments associated with highly excited Rydberg states of atoms and molecules make gas-phase samples in these states very well suited to deceleration and trapping using inhomogeneous electric fields. The methods of Rydberg-Stark deceleration with which this can be achieved are reviewed here. Using these techniques, the longitudinal motion of beams of atoms and molecules moving at speeds as high as 2500 m/s have been manipulated, with changes in kinetic energy of up to | E kin | = 1.3 × 10 −20 J (| E kin |/e = 80 meV or | E kin |/hc = 650 cm −1 ) achieved, while decelerated and trapped samples with number densities of 10 6 -10 7 cm −3 and translational temperatures of ∼ 150 mK have been prepared. Applications of these samples in areas of research at the interface between physics and physical chemistry are discussed.

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Section: Chip-based Guides Decelerators and Trapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rydberg-Stark deceleration of atoms and molecules

Hogan

2016

EPJ Techn Instrum

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“…The potential created by wire currents and external magnetic field coils has approximate cylindrical symmetry, though field gradients are largest near the chip surface. Details of the fabrication of the atom chip are contained in Cherry et al [31] (see Fig. 3 in this reference for the exact wire geometry).…”

Section: Atom Chipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The atoms are trapped by quickly turning on a mm-scale magnetic trap and then adiabatically transferred to the trapping potential formed by the atom chip wires. The atom chip consists of 1 µm tall gold wires deposited on a thin 20 nm layer of insulating silicon oxide on a silicon substrate [19]. There are five wires on the chip surface: a central H-shaped structure (connected so that the current runs in a z-shape), and two pairs of nested U-shaped wires.…”

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confidence: 99%

Electric-field sensing near the surface microstructure of an atom chip using cold Rydberg atoms

2012

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This thesis reports experimental observations of electric fields using Rydberg atoms, including dc field measurements near the surface of an atom chip, and demonstration of measurement techniques for ac fields far from the surface. Associated theoretical results are also presented, including Monte Carlo simulations of the decoherence of Rydberg states in electric field noise as well as an analytical calculation of the statistics of dc electric field inhomogeneity near polycrystalline metal surfaces.DC electric fields were measured near the heterogeneous metal and dielectric surface of an atom chip using optical spectroscopy on cold atoms released from the trapping potential. The fields were attributed to charges accumulating in the dielectric gaps between the wires on the chip surface. The field magnitude and direction depend on the details of the dc biasing of the chip wires, suggesting that fields may be minimized with appropriate biasing.Techniques to measure ac electric fields were demonstrated far from the chip surface, using the decay of a coherent superposition of two Rydberg states of cold atoms. We have used the decay of coherent Rabi oscillations to place some bounds on the magnitude and frequency dependence of ac field noise.The rate of decoherence of a superposition of two Rydberg states was calculated with Monte Carlo simulations. The states were assumed to have quadratic Stark shifts and the power spectrum of the electric field noise was assumed to have a power-law dependence of the form 1/f κ . The decay is exponential at long times for both free evolution of the superposition and and Hahn spin-echo sequences with a π refocusing pulse applied to eliminate the effects of low-frequency field noise. This decay time may be used to calculate the magnitude of the field noise if κ is known.The dc field inhomogeneity near polycrystalline metal surfaces due to patch potentials on the surface has been calculated, and the rms field scales with distance to the surface as 1/z 2 . For typical evaporated metal surfaces the magnitude of the rms field is comparable to the image field of an elementary charge near the surface.iii Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my supervisor, Dr. James Martin, for his hard work, dedication, and assistance through this project. I'd also like to thank Dr. Martin for reading the drafts of this thesis and making many helpful comments and suggestions.Thanks to Owen Cherry, my colleague during the initial phase of this project. Owen fabricated the atom chips described in this work and was involved in the assembly of the vacuum chamber and the MOT optics.

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“…Approaches directed toward the confinement of Rydberg atoms in the vicinity of surfaces have involved Rydberg photoexcitation in miniature vapor cells [7], and in close proximity to arrays of surfacebased permanent-magnet traps [8]. Atom chips have also been developed with Rydberg photoexcitation in the strong dipole-blockade regime in mind [9,10], for the realization of sources of single atoms on demand [11].…”

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confidence: 99%

Surface-Electrode Rydberg-Stark Decelerator

et al. 2012

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Hydrogen atoms in Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers between 23 and 70 have been accelerated, decelerated, and electrostatically trapped using a surface-electrode Rydberg-Stark decelerator. By applying a set of oscillating electrical potentials to a two-dimensional array of electrodes on a printed circuit board (PCB), a continuously moving, three-dimensional electric trap with a predefined velocity and acceleration is generated. From an initial longitudinal velocity of 760 m/s, final velocities of the Rydberg atoms ranging from 1200 m/s to zero velocity in the laboratory-fixed frame of reference were achieved. Accelerated or decelerated atoms were detected directly by pulsed electric-field ionization. Atoms trapped at zero mean velocity above the PCB were reaccelerated off the PCB before field ionization.

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An atom chip for the manipulation of ultracold atoms

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Rydberg-Stark deceleration of atoms and molecules

Rydberg-Stark deceleration of atoms and molecules

Electric-field sensing near the surface microstructure of an atom chip using cold Rydberg atoms

Surface-Electrode Rydberg-Stark Decelerator

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