Strontium Tweezer Experiment

In our most recent cold-atom experiment, we aim to trap and cool single strontium atoms in arrays of small optical dipole traps.
Strontium's unique properties have attracted interest in the scientific community over the past years. As an alkaline earth element, it offers a richer level structure compared to the alkali metals (in our group e.g. Lithium, Sodium and Potassium). Its isotopes can be cooled to degenerate quantum gases (not least thanks to Simon Stellmer's efforts). With a strong, blue transition and weaker, but very precise red transitions it is tailored for trapping in small dipole traps (optical tweezers) and optical atomic clocks.

Goals

By combining a liquid-crystal based spatial light modulator (LCOS-SLM) with high NA microscope objectives (NA > 0.65), it is possible to trap hundreds of single atoms in arbitrary (well-defined) one-, two- or even three-dimensional configurations. This allows us to combine aspects from our quantum gas experiments and our single ion experiments. For example, optical lattice geometries not accessible in a standing wave configuration can easily be created with optical tweezers.
In the mid term, our goal (well, one of them) is to trap multiple atoms in one of our millimeter-sized small optical cavities. Due to strontium's large dipole moment, this can allow for even larger light-atominteractions than we have seen here.

Results

The experiment passed its design phase and is currently under heavy construction, so there are no publications yet. Please see the setup section or the pictures to get an idea.

Setup

Some of the things we already have in our lab:

The laser system (¹S₀ → ¹P₁ @ 461 nm , ¹S₀ → ³P₁ @ 689 nm, repumpers @ 679 and 707 nm)
A home-built strontium source (oven and a two-dimensional MOT) used to create a cold atomic beam directed towards our main chamber(s)
Our main physics chamber, featuring: a custom non-magnetic titanium body, optical access from twelve directions, two high-NA objectives, options to extend to multiple science chambers.
Fast-switching magnetic field coils for gradients up to 150 G/cm at the atom position
Commercial FPGA-based experiment control system