Magneto-optical trap system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12444517-B2
Application number	US-202217945775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2022
Priority date	Sep 15, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

One example includes a MOT system. The system includes first optical source configured to provide a plurality of first optical beams parallel to a central axis associated with the MOT system, and a first set of optics configured to focus the first optical beams to the central axis through a trapping region comprising a vapor of atoms. The system also includes a second optical source configured to provide a plurality of second optical beams parallel to the central axis associated with the MOT system, and a second set of optics configured to focus the second optical beams to the central axis through the trapping region. Each of the second optical beams can be coaxial with a respective one of the first optical beams, such that each of the first optical beams is counterpropagating with a respective one of the second optical beams.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magneto-optical trap (MOT) system comprising:
a first optical source configured to provide a plurality of first optical beams parallel to a central axis associated with the MOT system;
a first set of optics configured to focus the first optical beams to the central axis through a trapping region comprising a vapor of atoms;
a second optical source configured to provide a plurality of second optical beams parallel to the central axis associated with the MOT system; and
a second set of optics configured to focus the second optical beams to the central axis through the trapping region, each of the second optical beams being coaxial with a respective one of the first optical beams, such that each of the first optical beams is counterpropagating with a respective one of the second optical beams.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first optical beams are arranged as a set of three first optical beams that have propagation axes that are equiangular about the central axis, wherein the propagation axes of the three first optical beams converge in an approximate central point of the trapping region on the central axis, wherein the second optical beams are arranged as a set of three second optical beams that have propagation axes that are equiangular about the central axis, wherein the propagation axes of the three second optical beams converge in the approximate central point of the trapping region on the central axis.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first optical source comprises:
a trapping laser configured to generate a single optical beam along the central axis; and
a beamsplitter configured to split the single first optical beam into the plurality of first optical beams.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second optical source comprises a set of mirrors to provide a plurality of the second optical beams as reflected versions of the respective plurality of the first optical beams.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of optics comprises a lens configured to refract the plurality of first optical beams from being collimated along the axis extending through the trapping region to respective directions convergent with respect to each other to the central axis.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second set of optics comprises a second lens configured to collimate the plurality of first optical beams exiting the trapping region from respective directions divergent with respect to each other to respective parallel propagation from the trapping region.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second optical source is arranged as a set of mirrors to provide a plurality of the second optical beams as reflected versions of the collimated first optical beams.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second lens is further configured to refract the collimated second optical beams to respective directions convergent with respect to each other to the central axis.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second lens is further configured to collimate detection light associated with the vapor of atoms in the trapping region parallel to the central axis, the detection light being collimated by the second lens to the respective parallel propagation along the central axis from the trapping region, wherein the second set of optics comprises a third lens configured to provide the detection light from the parallel propagation along the central axis to a photodetector system for determining a measurable parameter via a processor based on a characteristic associated with the detection light.

10. An optical system comprising the MOT system of claim 1 , the optical system further comprising:
a processor; and
a photodetector system;
wherein the second set of optics comprises a lens that is configured to refract detection light associated with the vapor of atoms in the trapping region, the detection light being collimated by the lens to the respective parallel propagation along the axis from the trapping region, wherein the second set of optics comprises another lens configured to provide the detection light to the photodetector system for determining a measurable parameter via the processor based on a characteristic associated with the detection light.

11. A method for trapping a vapor of atoms in a trapping region in a magneto optical trap (MOT) system, the method comprising:
providing a first optical beam along a central axis associated with the MOT system via a trapping laser;
splitting the first optical beam into a plurality of first optical beams parallel to the central axis via a first set of optics;
providing the plurality of first optical beams to the central axis through the trapping region;
reflecting the plurality of first optical beams via a second set of optics to provide a plurality of second optical beams parallel to the central axis associated with the MOT system; and
providing the second optical beams to the central axis through the trapping region via the second set of optics, each of the second optical beams being coaxial with a respective one of the first optical beams, such that each of the first optical beams is counterpropagating with a respective one of the second optical beams.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein splitting the first optical beam comprises splitting the first optical beam into a set of three first optical beams, wherein providing the first optical beams through the trapping region comprises providing the three first optical beams to have respective propagation axes that are equiangular about the central axis, wherein the propagation axes of the three first optical beams converge in an approximate central point of the trapping region on the central axis.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing the second optical beams through the trapping region comprises providing the second optical beams through the trapping region as a set of three second optical beams that have propagation axes that are equiangular about the central axis, wherein the propagation axes of the three second optical beams converge in the approximate central point of the trapping region on the central axis.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein splitting the first optical beam comprises splitting the first optical beam into the three first optical beams collimated along the axis extending through the trapping region via a lens associated with the first set of optics, the method further comprising collimating the plurality of first optical beams exiting the trapping region from respective directions divergent with respect to each other to respective parallel propagation from the trapping region via a lens associated with the second set of optics.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising collimating detection light associated with the vapor of atoms in the trapping region via the lens associated with the second set of optics to the respective parallel propagation along the axis from the trapping region, the method further comprising providing the collimated detection light to detection electronics via a lens for determining a measurable parameter based on a characteristic associated with the detection light.

16. An optical system comprising:
a magneto-optical trap (MOT) system, the MOT system comprising:
a first optical source configured to provide at least one first optical beam parallel to a central axis associated with the MOT system;
a first set of optics configured to provide the at least one first optical beam as a plurality of first optical beams to a central axis through a trapping region comprising a vapor of atoms;
a second optical source configur

Assignees

• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Chavez Dora
• Imhof Eric A
• Larsen Michael S

Classifications

• G21K1/30 Primary

  for confining neutral particles or handling confined neutral particles, e.g. atom traps · CPC title

• G21K1/006 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic