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

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Figure 4.5: Magnetic trap center translation. Add<strong>in</strong>g a uniform magnetic field shifts the<br />

position of the quadrupole field m<strong>in</strong>imum. The graph shows the center of the magnetically<br />

trapped cloud of a<strong>to</strong>ms as a function of the current through the vertical auxiliary<br />

coil.<br />

4.3 Laser System<br />

Multiple lasers with different frequencies are required dur<strong>in</strong>g the course of the<br />

s<strong>in</strong>gle-pho<strong>to</strong>n cool<strong>in</strong>g experiment. They can be separated <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> two groups: lasers close <strong>to</strong><br />

or at the resonance frequency of the D2 l<strong>in</strong>e, near-resonant lasers, <strong>and</strong> lasers far-detuned<br />

from resonance used <strong>to</strong> create optical dipole traps.<br />

4.3.1 Near-Resonant Lasers<br />

Near-resonant lasers are used for a variety of purposes dur<strong>in</strong>g the course of the<br />

experiment: creat<strong>in</strong>g the MOT <strong>and</strong> optical molasses beams, do<strong>in</strong>g optical pump<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

transferr<strong>in</strong>g the a<strong>to</strong>ms <strong>to</strong> an optical dipole trap dur<strong>in</strong>g the s<strong>in</strong>gle-pho<strong>to</strong>n cool<strong>in</strong>g process,<br />

<strong>and</strong> also for imag<strong>in</strong>g. Figure 4.6 shows a diagram how each of these laser frequencies<br />

required dur<strong>in</strong>g the experiment is related <strong>to</strong> the D2 transition frequency.<br />

The two fundamental frequencies, MOT <strong>and</strong> repump, of the near-resonant laser<br />

system are generated by two home-built external cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) <strong>in</strong> Littrow<br />

51

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