A large octupole magnetic trap for research with atomic hydrogen

Area of Science:

• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Mechanics
• Low-Temperature Physics

Background:

• Atomic hydrogen (H) is a fundamental system for studying quantum phenomena.
• Efficient trapping and cooling of H atoms are crucial for precision measurements and quantum simulations.
• Previous magnetic traps for H atoms had limited volumes, restricting experimental possibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a large-volume magnetic trap for atomic hydrogen.
• To achieve significant improvements in the storage and cooling of H atoms.
• To explore the performance of a novel octupole magnet configuration for atom trapping.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an octupole magnetic field configuration (Ioffe bars) for radial confinement.
• Integration of axial pinch coils and a 3 T solenoid for a cryogenic H dissociator.
• Operation within a dilution refrigerator at 1.5 K to achieve ultra-low temperatures.

Main Results:

• A maximum trap depth of 0.54 K (0.8 T) was achieved.
• An effective trapping volume of 0.5 L for H gas at 50 mK was realized.
• This volume represents an order of magnitude increase compared to previous atom traps.

Conclusions:

• The developed octupole magnetic trap is a mechanically stable and robust system.
• The trap enables unprecedented large-volume storage and cooling of atomic hydrogen.
• This advancement opens new avenues for research in atomic physics and quantum technologies.