Affiliation:
1. Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA
Abstract
Zeeman slowers come in two commonly used types: electromagnet-based slowers and permanent-magnet slowers. Both have characteristic advantages and disadvantages. The electric currents required to create strong magnetic fields lead to heat dissipation that limits the achievable fields, while permanent-magnet slowers cause bias magnetic fields at the position of the magneto-optical trap. Here, we combine both approaches and their advantages at our lithium-6 triangular-lattice quantum gas microscope and extend the field of an electromagnet-based Zeeman slower using permanent magnets. We observe nearly doubled loading rates of the magneto-optical trap and no significant stray fields in the trapping region. Our approach allows for a stronger magnetic field in places where geometric constraints prevent the use of coils, and it provides a low-cost upgrade to the loading rate at established experiments.
Funder
National Science Foundation
Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust
Jefferson Trust
The Beitchman Award for Innovative Graduate Student Research in Physics in Honor of Robert V. Coleman and Bascom S. Deaver, Jr.
Ingrassia Family Echols Scholars Research Fund
Mitchell Summer Research Scholarship