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Experiments to Control Atom Number and Phase-Space Density in ...

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past y = 0.5 mm the signal starts <strong>to</strong> decrease aga<strong>in</strong>. This is due <strong>to</strong> two reasons: the<br />

<strong>to</strong>tal number of a<strong>to</strong>ms affected by the CO2 laser decreases as the laser beam is moved<br />

away from the center of the MOT. In addition the effect of the disturbance of the CO2<br />

focus is only local. This means that even though the a<strong>to</strong>mic distribution is affected by<br />

the presence of the laser beam, the overall effect is limited <strong>to</strong> only one half of the MOT<br />

<strong>and</strong> thus does not lead <strong>to</strong> an imbalance <strong>in</strong> the scattered light between the two halves.<br />

The same phenomenon is visible if the focus is moved <strong>to</strong> the lower half of the MOT<br />

(y < 0 mm). However, the sign of the observed signal has changed, because this system<br />

detects the difference <strong>in</strong> the APD signals, not the absolute value.<br />

Figure 8.10 (d) shows that the method described is not very sensitive <strong>to</strong> the<br />

alignment of the focus along the beam propagation axis, as expected from the long<br />

Rayleigh length along this dimension. The Rayleigh lengths of the CO2 are 522 µm <strong>and</strong><br />

1102 µm respectively.<br />

8.4 Load<strong>in</strong>g of the Optical Dipole Trap<br />

After align<strong>in</strong>g the CO2 laser beam <strong>to</strong> the MOT <strong>and</strong> compress<strong>in</strong>g the MOT <strong>to</strong><br />

reduce the temperature, a<strong>to</strong>ms are successfully loaded <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the optical dipole trap. Once<br />

a first signal of the a<strong>to</strong>ms is obta<strong>in</strong>ed it is possible <strong>to</strong> optimize the transfer <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the<br />

trap <strong>in</strong> multiple ways. Before go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> more details about this, it should be po<strong>in</strong>ted<br />

out that one important step needs <strong>to</strong> happen after compress<strong>in</strong>g the MOT <strong>and</strong> before<br />

turn<strong>in</strong>g the MOT beams off completely. Optical evaporation happens us<strong>in</strong>g a<strong>to</strong>ms <strong>in</strong><br />

the |F = 1/2,mF = ±1/2〉 states. It is therefore necessary <strong>to</strong> optically pump the a<strong>to</strong>ms<br />

<strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the lower state. This is done by turn<strong>in</strong>g the repump beam off before the MOT beam<br />

is turned off. Typical optical pump<strong>in</strong>g times are on the order of ten <strong>to</strong> hundred of µs.<br />

The location of the optical dipole trap is optimized first by mov<strong>in</strong>g the f<strong>in</strong>al<br />

focus<strong>in</strong>g lens of the CO2 laser beam. Additionally, the way the power <strong>in</strong> the MOT beams<br />

is decreased dur<strong>in</strong>g the MOT compression stages is varied <strong>and</strong> the different curves of<br />

beam power as a function of time is shown <strong>in</strong> figure 8.11. The st<strong>and</strong>ard shape that<br />

was used for measur<strong>in</strong>g the compressed MOT temperatures is shown <strong>in</strong> blue. Curve 1<br />

161

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