Magneto-optical trapping using planar optics

• Published in: New journal of physics Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 13021
• Main Authors: McGehee, William R, Zhu, Wenqi, Barker, Daniel S, Westly, Daron, Yulaev, Alexander, Klimov, Nikolai, Agrawal, Amit, Eckel, Stephen, Aksyuk, Vladimir, McClelland, Jabez J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.01.2021
• Subjects: Clocks; Cold atoms; Gaussian beams (optics); Gratings (spectra); Gravimeters; Gravimetry; Gyroscopes; Integrated circuits; Laser cooling; metasurfaces; Optical trapping; Optics; photonic integrated circuits; Physics; Quantum computing
• ISSN: 1367-2630; 1367-2630
• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/abdce3

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.