Low-Velocity Matter Wave Source for Atom Interferometry Produced By
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Shannon K. Mayer for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics presented on January 22, 1997. Title: Low-Velocity Matter-Wave Source for Atom Interferometry Produced by Zeeman-Tuned Laser Cooling and Magneto-Optic Trapping. Redacted for Privacy Abstract Approved: David H. McIntyre A continuous, low-velocity, nearly monochromatic atomic beam is created using laser cooling and two-dimensional magneto-optic trapping. Rubidium atoms from an effusive oven are slowed and cooled using Zeeman-tuned slowing. The scattering force from a counter-propagating, frequency-stabilized diode laser beam is used to decelerate the thermal beam of atoms to a velocity of 20 m/s. A spatially varying magnetic field is used to Zeeman shift the resonance frequency of the atom to compensate for the changing Doppler shift, thereby keeping the slowing atoms resonant with the fixed frequency laser. This slowing process also cools the beam of atoms to a temperature of a few Kelvin. The slow beam of atoms is loaded into a two-dimensional magneto-optic trap or atomic funnel. The atoms are trapped along the axis of the funnel and experience a molasses- type damping force in all three spatial dimensions. By frequency shifting the laser beams used to make the trap, the atoms are ejected at a controllable velocity. The continuous matter-wave source has a controllable beam velocity in the range of 2 to 15 m/s, longitudinal and transverse temperatures of approximately 500 and a flux of 3.4 x109 atoms/s. At 10 m/s, the de Broglie wavelength of the beam is 0.5 nm. The spatial profile of the atomic beam was characterized 30 cm from the exit of the atomic funnel using a surface ionization detector. The low-velocity atomic beam is an ideal source for atom interferometry and a variety of applications in the field of atom optics. © Copyright by Shannon K. Mayer January 22, 1997 All Rights Reserved Low-Velocity Matter-Wave Source for Atom Interferometry Produced by Zeeman-Tuned Laser Cooling and Magneto-Optic Trapping by Shannon K. Mayer A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Presented January 22, 1997 Commencement June 1997 Doctor of Philosophy thesis of Shannon K. Mayer presented on January 22, 1997 APPROVED: Redacted for Privacy Major Professor, Representing P ysics Redacted for Privacy Chair of Department of Physics Redacted for Privacy Dean of Gradua chool I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. Redacted for Privacy Shannon K. Mayer, AZ7 Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. David McIntyre, for his guidance during this project. His knowledge, thoroughness, and resourcefulness have been a tremendous asset. He has taught me a great number of skills that helped me to become a better scientist. By his example, I have learned the importance of asking questions and have developed a healthy balance between thinking through a problem and simply getting in the lab and giving it a try. He has also modeled a number of attributes which will help me to become a better teacher. The patience he exhibits in working with students and his availability for questions are traits I hope to emulate. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of many people who contributed to the work in the laboratory during my time at OSU. Thanks to Nancy Silva and Tom Swanson for leading the way on the system; I benefited a great deal from our time working together on the project. Thanks to Mark Shroyer for building the solenoid for Zeeman-tuned slowing. Kerry Browne has been a great help in assisting with a variety of projects these last several months. John Archibald's fine machining skills were also a great asset to the group. I would like to thank my husband, Steve, for his faithful encouragement as we have pursued this dream together. Thanks also to the friends who have come alongside in support of this endeavor. The friendship, encouragement, and impeccably timed humor have sustained me through this journey. Special thanks to Mike and Jennifer Jacobson, Bob and Beth Mumford, Bill Greenwood, Heidi Pattee, Corinne Manogue and the community at Logos House and Valley Christian Center. I would also like to thank my family for their support through the years. Finally, I honor the Lord, Jesus Christ; the One who places in our hearts the desire to ask questions and allows us to discover, in some small measure, the working of the world He created. Financial support has been provided by the Office of Naval Research and Oregon State University. Table of Contents Page Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Atom Interferometry: Historical Background and Applications 2 1.2 Overview of the Experiment 5 1.3 Thesis Outline 7 Chapter 2. Introduction to Atomic Physics: Relevant Properties of Rubidium 9 2.1 Overview 9 2.2 Atomic Energy Levels 9 2.3 Absorption and Emission Spectra 14 2.4 Zeeman Shifted Energy Levels 15 2.4.1 Zeeman Splitting in the Low Field Limit 18 2.4.2 Zeeman Splitting in the High Field Limit 19 2.4.3 Zeeman Splitting for General Fields 20 Chapter 3. Laser Manipulation of Atoms 26 3.1 Laser Cooling Theory 26 3.1.1 Momentum Transfer via Absorption and Spontaneous Emission of Photons 26 3.1.2 Laser Cooling Methods 29 3.1.3 Optical Pumping: Generating a Two-Level Cycling Transition 37 3.1.4 Transverse Heating 42 3.2 Optical Molasses and Magneto-optic Trapping Theory 42 3.2.1 Optical Molasses 42 3.2.2 The Magneto-Optic Trap 46 Chapter 4. Zeeman-Tuned Slowing: Implementation 50 4.1 Solenoid Design Criteria 50 4.2 The Solenoid for Zeeman-Tuned Slowing 53 4.2.1 Mechanical Design 54 4.2.2 Solenoid Coil Configuration 54 4.2.3 Solenoid Magnetic Field 56 Table of Contents (continued) Page 4.3 Theoretical Solenoid Performance 62 4.3.1 Analytical Model of Solenoid Performance 63 4.3.2 Theoretical Results from the Model 65 4.3.3 Spontaneous Emission and Transverse Heating 76 Chapter 5. System Description and Operation 78 5.1 System Overview 78 5.2 The Atomic Beam Machine 78 5.2.1 The Vacuum System 78 5.2.2 The Rubidium Oven 81 5.3 Lasers and Optics 87 5.3.1 Diode Laser Operation 87 5.3.2 Grating Feedback Stabilized Laser Diode 91 5.3.3 Frequency Calibration and Stabilization 93 5.3.4 Optical Layout and Laser Characteristics 99 5.4 The Atomic Funnel 102 5.5 The Surface Ionization Detector 104 5.5.1 Ionizing the Neutral Atomic Beam 105 5.5.2 Microchannel Plate Amplification 105 5.5.3 Detector Design and Operation 106 Chapter 6. Experimental Results: The Zeeman Slower 109 6.1 Optimizing System Parameters 111 6.2 State Preparation 112 6.2.1 The Function of the Cooling Laser in State Preparation 112 6.2.2 The Function of the Re-Pump Laser in State Preparation 114 6.3 Slowing Atoms Without Doppler Shift Compensation 115 6.4 Experimental Results: Zeeman Tuned Slowing 117 6.5 Comparison with Chirped Cooling 123 6.6 Isotope Comparison 124 Table of Contents (continued) Page Chapter 7. Experimental Results: Characterization of the Low-Velocity Matter-Wave Source 126 7.1 Resonance Fluorescence: Estimating the Atomic Funnel Population 126 7.2 Time-of-Flight Analysis: Velocity and Temperature Measurements of the Atomic Beam 128 7.3 Surface Ionization Detection: Spatial Characteristics of the Atomic Beam 131 7.3.1 Detector Pulse Characteristics 132 7.3.2 Pulse Counting 133 7.3.3 Monitoring DC Current 135 7.3.4 Ionization Detector Efficiency 136 7.3.5 Predicted Spatial Distribution of the Atomic Beam 137 7.3.6 Measured Spatial Distribution of the Atomic Beam 141 7.4 Demonstration of Magneto-Optical Deflection of a Low-Velocity Atomic Beam 147 7.5 Feasibility Study: Diffraction of the Low-Velocity Atomic Beam by a Transmission Grating 153 Chapter 8: Conclusions and Future Research 156 Bibliography 158 Appendix: Maple Worksheet: Zeeman Shifted Energy Levels of the 5S112 and 5P312 States of Rubidium 167 List of Figures Figure Page 1.1 Three-grating Bonse-Hart interferometer for atom interferometry. 7 2.1 Fine structure and hyperfine structure splitting of the ground and first excited state energy levels of 85Rb. 11 2.2 Energy level diagram for the ground and 5P312 state of 85Rb and 87Rb. 13 2.3 Measured Doppler-broadened absorption spectra for the 5S112 to 5P312 transition in rubidium. 16 2.4 Calculated Doppler-broadened absorption spectra for the 5S112 to 5P312 transition in rubidium. 16 2.5a Zeeman shifted energy levels of the 5S112 and 5P312 states of 85Rb. 22 2.5b Zeeman shifted energy levels of the 5S112 and 5P312 states of 85Rb (expanded view). 23 2.6a Zeeman shifted energy levels of the 5S112 and 5P312 states of 87Rb. 24 2.6b Zeeman shifted energy levels of the 5S112 and 5P312 states of 87Rb (expanded view). 25 3.1 Momentum transfer via photon absorption-emission. 27 3.2 Zeeman shift of 85Rb energy levels relevant to Zeeman-tuned cooling. 32 3.3 Theoretical magnetic field profile for a and a + Zeeman-tuned cooling. 34 3.4 Zeeman shift in transition frequency for the rc and a + transitions relative to the a cycling transition.