Prospects of laser cooling in atomic thallium

Abstract

One of the most precisely determined upper limits for the electron electric dipole moment (EDM) is set by the thallium (Tl) atomic beam experiment. One way to enhance the sensitivity of the atomic beam setup is to laser cool the Tl atoms to reduce the EDM-like phase caused by the E×v effect. In this report, a cooling scheme based on the 6P 3/2 (F = 2) ↔ 6D 5/2 (F = 3) transition in Tl is proposed. The absolute frequency measurement of this nearly closed-cycle transition was performed in an atomic beam apparatus. Two Ti:sapphire lasers were frequency-doubled using enhancement cavities in X-type configurations to provide the needed 377-and 352-nm light sources for the optical pumping and cooling transitions, respectively. The absolute frequency of this cooling transition is determined to be 851 634 646(56) MHz.

Frequency measurement of the 6P3/2→7S1/2transition of thallium

“…The implementation of laser cooling on atomic thallium, which produces slow intense atomic beam or ultracold sample, can offer great advantages for further reducing systematic uncertainties and increasing signal strength for the EDM experiment. A cooling * shy@phys.nthu.edu.tw scheme based on the metastable 6P 3/2 state has been proposed and investigated [7]. It utilizes the 6P 1/2 ↔ 6D 5/2 transition, which has a high transition rate and can be considered as a nearly closed two-level cooling cycle.…”

Gaussian and sinc-shaped few-cycle-pulse-driven ultrafast coherent population transfer inΛ-like atomic systems

“…Hence the model proposed by us may be tested experimentally in atomic systems such as indium, thallium, and gallium. In passing, it may be noted that indium, thallium and gallium have been studied extensively both theoretically and experimentally in the context of laser cooling of atoms [43][44][45][46].…”

Zeeman slowing of a Group III atom

“…Studies of optical forces on triels have largely focused on their application to nanofabrication [2][3][4]. Optical forces have been observed in Al [2], Ga [3], and In [4,5], whereas Tl has also been suggested as a laser cooling candidate [6]. However, standard cooling techniques for ultracold gas production, such as Zeeman slowers and magneto-optical traps, have never been demonstrated in triel atoms.…”