Quantum Institute: Visitor Schedule

The Quantum Lunch is regularly held on Thursdays in the Theoretical Division Conference Room, TA-3, Building 123, Room 121.
For more information, contact Diego Dalvit.

August 23, 2007
12:30 PM

Matthew B. Squires,
JILA/University of Colorado at Boulder

Design and Implementation of a Compact System for Rapid BEC Production

Abstract

I will describe a compact (5'10'30 cm) two chamber system for the rapid production of Rb Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC). The first chamber contains a 2D+ magneto-optical trap (MOT) and produces a flux of cold atoms that loads a 3D MOT in the second low pressure (torr) chamber. The laser cooled atoms are then magnetically transferred to a silicon atom chip (e.g., Nature 413, 498 [2001]) where they are compressed in a magnetic trap (1.8'3.0'0.6 kHz) and then cooled by RF evaporation to a BEC. The system was operated in three modes: the production of 30 sequential BECs of atoms in ‹2 minutes, the number optimized production of a BEC of atoms in ‹10 s, and the speed optimize production of a BEC of atoms in 2.65 s. The vacuum system uses some construction methods that are not typically used in BEC systems. Some of the parts are joined by anodic bonding which is compatible with vacuum pressures of 10 torr and temperatures greater than 300°C. The atom chip is used as one wall of the vacuum system so the BEC is made ‹1 mm from ambient lab air. Electrical connections to the atom chip are made with through-silicon ultra-high vacuum compatible electrical vias. Current chip designs use 60 vias (2.5A/via) around the perimeter of a 2-cm square chip.