A two element magneto-optical trap (MOT) for Na and Li-7 or Li-6 is used to cool and trap each of them separately. A fraction of the cold atoms is maintained in the first P-2(3/2) excited state by the cooling laser. These excited state atoms are ionized by laser light in the near-UV region, giving rise to a smaller number of trapped atoms and to different loading parameters. Photoionization cross-sections were derived out of these data. They are in reasonable agreement with data previously obtained using thermal samples and with theoretical predictions

We investigated heteronuclear inelastic cold collisions in a mixed-species Li–Na magneto-optical trap, where the Li trap loss from collisions with Na was measured. Experimental results for the rate coefficient βNaLi for the isotopes 6Li as well as 7Li as a function of the Li-MOT laser intensity are presented. Furthermore, we discuss some unique characteristics of cold collisions of Na and Li which arise from (1) the very small spin–orbit splitting of Li, (2) the very small C6 coefficients of the Na(3 2S) + Li(2 2P) asymptotes and (3) the very small and inverted hyperfine structure of Li.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract