Title | Magneto-optical trapping using planar optics |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2021 |
Authors | W. R. McGehee, W. Zhu, D. S. Barker, D. Westly, A. Yulaev, N. Klimov, A. Agrawal, S. Eckel, V. Aksyuk, and J. J. McClelland |
Journal | New J. Phys. |
Volume | 23 |
Date Published | jan |
ISSN | 1367-2630 |
Keywords | laser cooling, metasurfaces, photonic integrated circuits |
Abstract | Laser-cooled atoms are a key technology for many calibration-free measurement platforms-including clocks, gyroscopes, and gravimeters-and are a promising system for quantum networking and quantum computing. The optics and vacuum hardware required to prepare these gases are often bulky and not amenable to large-volume manufacturing, limiting the practical realization of devices benefiting from the properties of cold atoms. Planar, lithographically produced optics including photonic integrated circuits, optical metasurfaces (MSs), and gratings offer a pathway to develop chip-scale, manufacturable devices utilizing cold atoms. As a demonstration of this technology, we have realized laser cooling of atomic Rb in a grating-type magneto-optical trap (MOT) using planar optics for beam launching, beam shaping, and polarization control. Efficient use of available light is accomplished using MS-enabled beam shaping, and the performance of the planar optics MOT is competitive with Gaussian-beam illuminated grating MOTs. |
DOI | 10.1088/1367-2630/abdce3 |