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Updated: May 21, 2026

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
Published on: March 30, 2017
An atomic beam source for fast loading of a magneto-optical trap under high vacuum
Peter D McDowall1, Tzahi Grünzweig, Andrew Hilliard
1Jack Dodd Centre for Quantum Technology, Department of Physics, University of Otago, New Zealand.
Abstract:
We report on a directional atomic beam created using an alkali metal dispenser and a nozzle. By applying a high current (15 A) pulse to the dispenser at room temperature we can rapidly heat it to a temperature at which it starts dispensing, avoiding the need for preheating. The atomic beam produced is capable of loading 90% of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) in less than 7 s while maintaining a low vacuum pressure of <10(-11) Torr. The transverse velocity components of the atomic beam are measured to be within typical capture velocities of a rubidium MOT. Finally, we show that the atomic beam can be turned off within 1.8 s.
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