Magnetic trapping of metastable {sup 3}P{sub 2} atomic strontium

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2003 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.67.011401· OSTI ID:20634062

Nagel, S B; Simien, C E; Laha, S; Gupta, P; Ashoka, V S; Killian, T C ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251 (United States)

We report the magnetic trapping of metastable {sup 3}P{sub 2} atomic strontium. Atoms are cooled in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) operating on the dipole-allowed {sup 1}S{sub 0}-{sup 1}P{sub 1} transition at 461 nm. Decay via {sup 1}P{sub 1}{yields}{sup 1}D{sub 2}{yields}{sup 3}P{sub 2} continuously loads a magnetic trap formed by the quadrupole magnetic field of the MOT. Over 10{sup 8} atoms at a density of 8x10{sup 9} cm{sup -3} and temperature of 1 mK are trapped. The atom temperature is significantly lower than what would be expected from the kinetic and potential energies of atoms as they are transferred from the MOT. This suggests the occurrence of thermalization and evaporative cooling in the magnetic trap.

• OSTI ID: 20634062
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 67, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.67.011401; (c) 2003 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
DECAY
DENSITY
DIPOLES
EVAPORATION
EVAPORATIVE COOLING
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
METASTABLE STATES
POTENTIAL ENERGY
QUADRUPOLES
RADIATION PRESSURE
STRONTIUM
THERMALIZATION
TRAPPING
TRAPS