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DOE OSTI2019

Laser cooling of ions in a neutral plasma

Laser cooling of a neutral plasma is a challenging task because of the high temperatures typically associated with the plasma state. By using an ultracold neutral plasma created by photoionization of an ultracold atomic gas, we avoid this obstacle and demonstrate laser cooling of ions in a neutral plasma. After 135 microseconds of cooling, we observed a reduction in ion temperature by up to a factor of four, with the temperature reaching as low as 50(4) millikelvin. This pushes laboratory studies of neutral plasmas deeper into the strongly coupled regime, beyond the limits of validity of current kinetic theories for calculating transport properties. The same optical forces also retard the plasma expansion, opening avenues for neutral-plasma confinement and manipulation.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

DOE OSTI2010

Anisotropic sub-Doppler laser cooling in dysprosium magneto-optical traps

Magneto-optical traps (MOTs) of Er and Dy have recently been shown to exhibit populationwide sub-Doppler cooling due to their near degeneracy of excited- and ground-state Landeg factors. We discuss here an additional, unusual intra-MOT sub-Doppler cooling mechanism that appears when the total Dy MOT cooling laser intensity and magnetic quadrupole gradient increase beyond critical values. Specifically, anisotropically sub-Doppler-cooled cores appear, and their orientation with respect to the quadrupole axis flips at a critical ratio of the MOT laser intensity along the quadrupole axis versus that in the plane of symmetry. This phenomenon can be traced to a loss of the velocity-selective resonance at zero velocity in the cooling force along directions in which the atomic polarization is oriented by the quadrupole field. We present data characterizing this anisotropic laser cooling phenomenon and discuss a qualitative model for its origin based on the extraordinarily large Dy magnetic moment and Dy's near degenerate g factors.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Precision spectroscopy and laser-cooling scheme of a radium-containing molecule

Molecules containing heavy radioactive nuclei are predicted to be extremely sensitive to violations of the fundamental symmetries of nature. The nuclear octupole deformation of certain radium isotopes massively boosts the sensitivity of radium monofluoride molecules to symmetry-violating nuclear properties. Moreover, these molecules are predicted to be laser coolable. In this article, we report measurements of the rovibronic structure of radium monofluoride molecules, which allow the determination of their laser cooling scheme. We demonstrate an improvement in resolution of more than two orders of magnitude compared to the state of the art. Our developments allowed measurements of minuscule amounts of hot molecules, with only a few hundred per second produced in a particular rotational state. The combined precision and sensitivity achieved in this work offer opportunities for studies of radioactive molecules of interest in fundamental physics, chemistry and astrophysics.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Adaptive four-level modeling of laser cooling of solids

Laser cooling of rare-earth doped solids has been demonstrated across a wide range of material platforms, inspiring the development of simple phenomenological models such as the four-level model to elucidate the universal properties of laser cooling under various operating conditions. However, these models usually require the input of full absorption spectra that must be provided experimentally or by additional complicated atomic modeling. In this Letter, we propose that a four-level model, when extended to admit effective energy levels adaptive to the pumping photon energy, can accurately predict the cooling efficiency as a function of temperature and pumping frequency using only few inputs such as the absorption coefficient measured at a single frequency and temperature. Our model exploits the quasi-equilibrium properties of the excitation of rare-earth ions for the determination of the effective four energy levels. The model is validated against published experimental results for a span of materials including ytterbium/thulium-doped glass and crystals. With the verified model, we derive explicit expressions for the optimal frequency and the operating bandwidth of pumping lasers. Our model significantly simplifies the modeling process of laser cooling and is expected to stimulate further development of optical refrigeration.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2025

Continuous recoil-driven lasing and cavity frequency pinning with laser-cooled atoms

Abstract Laser-cooled gases of atoms interacting with the field of an optical cavity are a versatile tool for quantum sensing and the simulation of quantum systems. These systems can exhibit phenomena such as self-organization phase transitions, lasing mechanisms, squeezed states and protection of quantum coherence. However, investigations of these phenomena typically occur in a discontinuous manner due to the need to reload atomic ensembles. Here we demonstrate hours-long continuous lasing from laser-cooled 88 Sr atoms loaded into a ring cavity. The required inversion to produce lasing arises from inversion in the atomic-momentum degrees of freedom, which is linked to the self-organization phase transitions and collective atomic recoil lasing observed previously only in a cyclic fashion. We find that over a broad parameter range, the sensitivity of the lasing frequency to changes in cavity frequency is significantly reduced due to an atomic loss mechanism, suggesting a potential approach for mitigating low-frequency cavity noise. Our findings open opportunities for continuous cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments and robust and continuous super-radiant lasers.

Schäfer, Vera M. (ORCID:0000000210003737)↗

DOE OSTI2022

Review of condensed matter laser cooling using electric-dipole-allowed transitions

The cooling of solids via laser-excited anti-Stokes luminescence has reached the cryogenic regime and is now being considered for several applications that benefit from vibration-free cryogenic refrigeration. 4f-4f transitions in rare-earth-doped crystals with low phonon energies currently offer the best laser-cooling performance. These transitions, however, are electric-dipole (ED) forbidden and thus have low cross sections, limiting the minimum achievable temperatures in practical materials to the 50–100 K regime. In contrast, ED-allowed transitions may offer greater cross sections and potentially enable lower minimum temperatures or more compact devices. The search for laser cooling with ED-allowed transitions has been an active field of research over the past decades with a wide variety of materials having been studied. This paper reviews the fundamentals of solid-state laser cooling, provides a preliminary theoretical assessment showing that laser-cooling with ED-allowed transitions is in principle possible, and reviews the experimental results reported to date. While cooling with ED-allowed transitions has not yet been realized in the solid state, the existing experimental body of work along with the theoretical considerations presented here suggest that further research on this topic may be fruitful.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2015

Injection locking of a high power ultraviolet laser diode for laser cooling of ytterbium atoms

We developed a high-power laser system at a wavelength of 399 nm for laser cooling of ytterbium atoms with ultraviolet laser diodes. The system is composed of an external cavity laser diode providing frequency stabilized output at a power of 40 mW and another laser diode for amplifying the laser power up to 220 mW by injection locking. The systematic method for optimization of our injection locking can also be applied to high power light sources at any other wavelengths. Our system does not depend on complex nonlinear frequency-doubling and can be made compact, which will be useful for providing light sources for laser cooling experiments including transportable optical lattice clocks.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2017

Laser cooling of {sup 171}Yb{sup +} ions in a frequency-modulated field

We have investigated the laser cooling of ytterbium ions in a radio-frequency trap by a frequency-modulated resonant laser field. It has been shown that the lowest laser cooling temperatures, close to the Doppler limit, can be reached at field modulation parameters μ ⩾ 0.1. At lower μ values, the region of field parameters optimal for cooling shifts to higher intensities and the minimum possible laser cooling temperature increases. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2011

Alternative technique for laser cooling with superradiance

We present a theoretical scheme for laser cooling of rare-earth-doped solids with optical superradiance (SR), which is the coherent, sharply directed spontaneous emission of photons by a system of laser-excited rare-earth ions in the solid-state host (glass or crystal). We consider an Yb{sup +}-doped ZnF{sub 4}-BaF{sub 2}-LaF{sub 3}-AlF{sub 3}-NaF (ZBLAN) sample pumped at a wavelength 1015 nm, with a rectangular pulsed source with a power of {approx}433 W and a duration of 10 ns. The intensity of the SR is proportional to the square of the number of excited ions. This unique feature of SR permits an increase in the rate of the cooling process in comparison with the traditional laser cooling of the rare-earth-doped solids with anti-Stokes spontaneous incoherent radiation (fluorescence). This scheme overcomes the limitation of using only low phonon energy glasses for laser cooling.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

All-optical production of a lithium quantum gas using narrow-line laser cooling

We have used the narrow 2S{sub 1/2}{yields}3P{sub 3/2} transition in the ultraviolet (uv) to laser cool and magneto-optically trap (MOT) {sup 6}Li atoms. Laser cooling of lithium is usually performed on the 2S{sub 1/2}{yields}2P{sub 3/2} (D2) transition, and temperatures of {approx}300 {mu}K are typically achieved. The linewidth of the uv transition is seven times narrower than the D2 line, resulting in lower laser cooling temperatures. We demonstrate that a MOT operating on the uv transition reaches temperatures as low as 59 {mu}K. Furthermore, we find that the light shift of the uv transition in an optical dipole trap at 1070 nm is small and blueshifted, facilitating efficient loading from the uv MOT. Evaporative cooling of a two spin-state mixture of {sup 6}Li in the optical trap produces a quantum degenerate Fermi gas with 3x10{sup 6} atoms in a total cycle time of only 11 s.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Effects of spin-orbit coupling on laser cooling of BeI and MgI

We present the ab initio study of spin-orbit coupling effects on laser cooling of BeI and MgI molecules. Potential energy curves for the X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}{sub 1/2}, A{sup 2}Π{sub 1/2,3/2}, and 2{sup 2}Π{sub 3/2,1/2} states are calculated using multi-reference configuration interaction method plus Davidson corrections. Spectroscopic parameters of BeI and MgI are in excellent agreement with available experimental and theoretical values. The A{sup 2}Π{sub 3/2} state of MgI is a repulsive state. It is an unsuitable scheme for the A{sup 2}Π{sub 3/2}(υ′)← X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}{sub 1/2} (υ″) transition for laser cooling of MgI. Highly diagonally distributed Franck-Condon factors f{sub 00} for the A{sup 2}Π{sub 1/2,3/2} (υ′ = 0) ← X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}{sub 1/2} (υ″ = 0) transitions and suitable radiative lifetimes τ for the A{sup 2}Π{sub 1/2,3/2} (υ′ = 0) of BeI and MgI are obtained. Three laser wavelength drives are required for the A{sup 2}Π{sub 1/2,3/2}(υ′)←X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}{sub 1/2} (υ″) transitions of BeI and MgI. The proposed cooling wavelengths of BeI and MgI are both in the violet region. The results imply the feasibility of laser cooling of BeI and MgI, and that laser cooling of BeI is more possible.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Laser cooling of antihydrogen atoms

The photon—the quantum excitation of the electromagnetic field—is massless but carries momentum. A photon can therefore exert a force on an object upon collision 1 . Slowing the translational motion of atoms and ions by application of such a force 2,3 , known as laser cooling, was first demonstrated 40 years ago 4,5 . It revolutionized atomic physics over the following decades 6–8 , and it is now a workhorse in many fields, including studies on quantum degenerate gases, quantum information, atomic clocks and tests of fundamental physics. However, this technique has not yet been applied to antimatter. Here we demonstrate laser cooling of antihydrogen 9 , the antimatter atom consisting of an antiproton and a positron. By exciting the 1S–2P transition in antihydrogen with pulsed, narrow-linewidth, Lyman-α laser radiation 10,11 , we Doppler-cool a sample of magnetically trapped antihydrogen. Although we apply laser cooling in only one dimension, the trap couples the longitudinal and transverse motions of the anti-atoms, leading to cooling in all three dimensions. We observe a reduction in the median transverse energy by more than an order of magnitude—with a substantial fraction of the anti-atoms attaining submicroelectronvolt transverse kinetic energies. We also report the observation of the laser-driven 1S–2S transition in samples of laser-cooled antihydrogen atoms. The observed spectral line is approximately four times narrower than that obtained without laser cooling. The demonstration of laser cooling and its immediate application has far-reaching implications for antimatter studies. A more localized, denser and colder sample of antihydrogen will drastically improve spectroscopic 11–13 and gravitational 14 studies of antihydrogen in ongoing experiments. Furthermore, the demonstrated ability to manipulate the motion of antimatter atoms by laser light will potentially provide ground-breaking opportunities for future experiments, such as anti-atomic fountains, anti-atom interferometry and the creation of antimatter molecules.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2020

Laser cooling of atoms at narrow optical transitions in fields with a polarisation gradient

The efficiency of the polarisation mechanisms of laser cooling of atoms is analysed using narrow optical transitions for which the recoil energy is greater than or comparable to the natural line width. By the example of atoms with the J{sub g} = 1 → J{sub e} = 2 optical transition (J{sub g} and J{sub e} are the total angular momenta of the ground and excited states) in the resonant light fields of σ{sub +} – σ{sub –} and lin⊥lin configurations, the analysis of the minimum achievable energies of laser-cooled atoms is performed. It is shown that the polarisation mechanisms of laser cooling under conditions of a significant influence of recoil effects become less efficient and do not lead to average kinetic energies of an ensemble of atoms below the Doppler limit. (paper)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2015

Laser cooling of electron – ion plasma in the case of optimal scanning of the laser frequency

Laser cooling of ions of electron – ion plasma is studied under the action of spontaneous radiation pressure forces. It is shown that the use of a constant detuning of the laser frequency from the quantum transition frequency w0 in ions significantly limits the conditions under which the ions are cooled. To extend the range of initial temperatures of possible cooling of ions and to increase the cooling efficiency we suggest scanning the laser frequency detuning so that the cooling rate remained maximal in the process of changing the temperature of ions. In the case of an optimal detuning, we have found an asymptotic expression for the cooling rate and identified intervals of electron concentrations and temperatures, where cooling of ions is possible. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2011

Laser cooling of a trapped particle with increased Rabi frequencies

This paper analyzes the cooling of a single particle in a harmonic trap with red-detuned laser light with fewer approximations than previously done in the literature. We avoid the adiabatic elimination of the excited atomic state but are still interested in Lamb-Dicke parameters {eta}<<1. Our results show that the Rabi frequency of the cooling laser can be chosen higher than previously assumed, thereby increasing the effective cooling rate but not affecting the final outcome of the cooling process. Since laser cooling is already a well-established experimental technique, the main aim of this paper is to present a model which can be extended to more complex scenarios, like cavity-mediated laser cooling.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

Secondary laser cooling and capturing of thulium atoms in traps

Secondary laser cooling has been realised on the weak dipole transition 4f{sup 13}({sup 2}F{sup o})6s{sup 2}, J = 7/2, F=4 → 4f{sup 12}({sup 3}H{sub 6}) 5d{sub 5/2}6s{sup 2}, J' = 9/2, F' = 5 with the wavelength of 530.7 nm and natural width of 350 kHz. The temperature of the atomic cloud in a magnetooptical trap (MOT) was 30 μK at the lifetime of 2 s and the number of atoms 10{sup 5}. Approximately 1% of atoms from the MOT have been reloaded to an optical dipole trap and to one-dimensional optical lattice at the wavelength of 532 nm. The atom lifetime in the optical lattice was 320 ms. We propose to employ thulium atoms captured in an optical lattice as an optical frequency reference. (extreme light fields and their applications)

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

A proposal for Coulomb assisted laser cooling of piezoelectric semiconductors

Anti-Stokes laser cooling of semiconductors as a compact and vibration-free method is very attractive. While it has achieved significant milestones, increasing its efficiency is highly desirable. The main limitation is the lack of the pristine material quality with high luminescence efficiency. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the Coulomb interaction among electrons and holes in piezoelectric heterostructures could lead to coherent damping of acoustic phonons; rendering a significantly higher efficiency that leads to the possibility of cooling a broad range of semiconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2026

Hyperfine spectroscopy and laser cooling of the fermionic isotopes 47 Ti and 49 Ti

Here, we report on magneto-optical trapping of the two fermionic isotopes of atomic titanium, 47 Ti and 49 Ti . Unlike the even mass-number isotopes, which were recently laser cooled, 47 Ti and 49 Ti have nonzero nuclear spins and, consequently, their atomic levels are split by hyperfine structure. Combining and comparing theoretical calculations and atomic beam-spectroscopy measurements, we determine the hyperfine structures and isotope shifts of the 3⁢𝑑 2 ⁢4⁢𝑠 2 𝑎 3 ⁢𝐹 4 → 3⁢𝑑 2 ⁢( 3 𝑃)⁢4⁢𝑠⁢4⁢𝑝⁢( 3 𝑃 𝑜 ) 𝑦 5 ⁢𝐷$^o_4$ optical-pumping transition at optical wavelength 391 nm and the 3⁢𝑑 3 ⁢(4𝐹)⁢4⁢𝑠 𝑎 5 ⁢𝐹 5 → 3⁢𝑑 3 ⁢( 4 𝐹)⁢4⁢𝑝 𝑦 5 ⁢𝐺$^𝑜_6$ laser-cooling transition at wavelength 498 nm. With this information, we produce magneto-optical traps of both 47 Ti and 49 Ti by applying two additional tones of light to repump atoms to the maximum-spin states on the laser-cooling transition. Directly loading from the atomic flux of a titanium sublimation pump, we produce 47 Ti and 49 Ti traps with 731(190) and 1142(240) atoms, and with lifetimes of 330⁢(15) and 310⁢(8)⁢ ms, respectively.

atomic spectra↗