Continuous, velocity-controlled three-dimensionally laser-cooled atom beam source with low fluorescence

US11596050B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy · US

Inventors

• Adam Black · Middletown, US
• Mark Bashkansky · Alexandria, US
• Charles Thomas Fancher · Fairfax, US
• Jonathan Kwolek · Arlington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 2021
• Grant date: Feb 28, 2023
• Expiry date: Sep 17, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/0071
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Method and apparatus for producing a cooled atom beam suitable for use applications requiring cold atoms. A two-stage cooling process is employed in which the atoms in the atom beam are cooled in two, spatially separated regions of a cooling apparatus, wherein the atoms are first cooled in two dimensions by two counterpropagating laser beams under a magnetic field and then are cooled in three dimensions by means of an optical molasses, where the power, frequency, and magnetic fields are tuned to obtain a continuous beam of three-dimensionally cooled atoms having a controllable velocity distribution, very low decoherence, and low background atomic gas loss.