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

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ZnSe lens<br />

f=5 <strong>in</strong><br />

knife edge<br />

ZnSe w<strong>in</strong>dow<br />

t=3mm<br />

CaF 2 w<strong>in</strong>dow<br />

t=5mm<br />

ZnSe lens<br />

f=1 <strong>in</strong><br />

IR Pho<strong>to</strong>detec<strong>to</strong>r<br />

Figure 8.12: CO2 noise measurement setup. The beam is first attenuated with a beamsplitter<br />

reflect<strong>in</strong>g 99%, transmitt<strong>in</strong>g 1% of the power (not shown). The beam is then<br />

focused by the same lens as it is <strong>in</strong> the experimental setup <strong>to</strong> create the optical dipole<br />

trap. The ZnSe w<strong>in</strong>dow simulates the viewport. A second ZnSe lens focuses the light<br />

on<strong>to</strong> the IR pho<strong>to</strong>detec<strong>to</strong>r. In order <strong>to</strong> not exceed the maximum <strong>in</strong>tensity at the pho<strong>to</strong>detec<strong>to</strong>r<br />

a CaF2 w<strong>in</strong>dow is placed <strong>in</strong> the beam path. The thickness of the w<strong>in</strong>dow is<br />

chosen such that it absorbs enough power <strong>to</strong> not damage the pho<strong>to</strong>diode while transmitt<strong>in</strong>g<br />

enough power for a good signal <strong>to</strong> noise ratio. The knife edge is <strong>in</strong>serted at the<br />

focus of the beam <strong>to</strong> block half the light for the measurement of spatial fluctuations.<br />

used <strong>to</strong> further reduce the power <strong>in</strong> the CO2 laser beam <strong>to</strong> a value below the pho<strong>to</strong>diode<br />

saturation value. CaF2 absorbs light at 10.6 µm, the absorption coefficient is 3.6 cm −1<br />

[119], so the thickness has <strong>to</strong> be chosen correctly as <strong>to</strong> reduce the beam power sufficiently<br />

<strong>and</strong> at the same time ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the best beam power <strong>to</strong> optimize the signal-<strong>to</strong>-noise<br />

ratio on the pho<strong>to</strong>diode. A second ZnSe lens (f = 1 <strong>in</strong>) is used <strong>to</strong> collect the light <strong>and</strong><br />

focus it on<strong>to</strong> the pho<strong>to</strong>detec<strong>to</strong>r.<br />

A reduced lifetime could not only stem from <strong>in</strong>tensity noise, but also <strong>in</strong> position<br />

noise of the laser foces. To measure position noise the option of <strong>in</strong>sert<strong>in</strong>g a knife-edge<br />

at the focus of the laser beam, block<strong>in</strong>g half the beam power, is added. Any additional<br />

<strong>in</strong>tensity fluctuations as compared <strong>to</strong> the case without the knife-edge then have <strong>to</strong> be<br />

due <strong>to</strong> changes <strong>in</strong> the position of the focus of the laser beam or <strong>to</strong> vibrations of the<br />

knife-edge itself.<br />

Figure 8.13 shows the measured noise spectrum of the laser beam after pass<strong>in</strong>g<br />

through the CO2 AOM (blue) <strong>and</strong> the background noise spectrum (green). Clearly<br />

there is noise around 1 kHz, close <strong>to</strong> the expected trapp<strong>in</strong>g frequency of the dipole trap.<br />

(Measur<strong>in</strong>g the position noise spectrum only reveals fluctuations due <strong>to</strong> vibrations of<br />

the knife-edge, with is confirmed by tak<strong>in</strong>g the measurement with two knife-edges of<br />

164

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