To create a source of metastable helium atoms for atom optics experiments we have developed a bright beam facility for metastable atoms. This uses a number of laser cooling and trapping techniques that are described in the following publications : 1,4,6,10,12,14,18,19 & 20.
We use this facility for two types of experiments;
Atomic beam experiments: 3 x 10^10 atoms / second in a 2 mm^2 area, <100 m/s, < 10 mrad divergence;
Atom trap experiments: 3 x 10^9 atoms in an 8 mm diameter cloud, with temperature 0.3 – 1.0 mK (corresponding to velocities ~ 1 m/s).
In addition, we have developed a more compact beam line to create a Bose-Einstein condensate of metastable helium atoms in a separate lab which is part of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum-Atom Optics. |
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