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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 64: Poster – Ultra-cold atoms, ions and BEC (joint session A/Q)

Q 64.38: Poster

Thursday, March 5, 2026, 17:00–19:00, Philo 1. OG

Enhanced Atom Capture via Multi-Frequency Magneto-Optical Trapping — •Benjamin Hopton, Nathan Cooper, and Lucia Hackermuller — School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, UK

Cold atom traps have a wide range of applications, from sensing—in devices such as magnetometers and gravimeters—to tests of fundamental physics. Increasing the size of these atom traps increases the sensitivity of such experiments; additionally, increasing the load rate of these traps inevitably increases the bandwidth of any device using these traps. We deliver an experiment showing that using multi-frequency cooling light in a Rb-87 magneto-optical trap (MOT) doubles the total number of atoms captured (capturing up to 1.3× 10¹⁰ atoms) and further improves the load rate of the trap three-fold (up to 1.2× 10¹¹ s⁻¹) compared to a traditional single-frequency MOT using the same apparatus. The use of multiple frequencies, each separated on the order of the natural linewidth of the atomic transition in question, allows a larger range of Doppler shifts—or higher velocity classes—to be available for excitation from the laser; this allows atoms to remain on resonant with the laser as it is cooled, increasing the capture velocity of a MOT for the same given size. We aim to continue optimising the setup for greater increase in both loading rate and steady-state atom number, in addition to implementing high atom number interferometric techniques, of which we have simulated.

Keywords: Multi-frequency; Magneto-Optical Trap