A simple imaging solution for chip-scale laser cooling

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple stacked scheme that enables absorption imaging through a hole in the surface of a grating magneto-optical trap (GMOT) chip, placed immediately below a micro-fabricated vacuum cell. The imaging scheme is capable of overcoming the reduced optical access and surface scatter that is associated with this chip-scale platform while further permitting both trapping and imaging of the atoms from a single incident laser beam. The through-hole imaging is used to characterize the impact of the reduced optical overlap volume of the GMOT in the chip-scale cell, with an outlook to an optimized atom number in low volume systems.

Micro-machined deep silicon atomic vapor cells

“…Additionally, the ability to fabricate 6 mm thick MEMS cells is directly transferable to the development of ultra-high-vacuum MEMS cells, where the increased vacuum volume would benefit the achievable optical overlap volume and trapped atom number. 13,25,26 IV. CONCLUSION…”

“…While novel approaches to light routing in silicon cells may enable an increased optical path length, 11,12 the benefits of simple deep line-of-sight cells would also be valuable for chip-scale laser cooling, where the 6 mm silicon thickness could enable a larger optical overlap volume within the cell. 13 Recent investigations of laser cooling in MEMS cells have reported a degradation of the achievable trapped atom number due to a limited silicon frame thickness, which restricts the optical overlap volume within the cell. 13 A viable solution for both hot and cold atom MEMS cells would be an increased optical path length in line-of-sight cells.…”

“…13 Recent investigations of laser cooling in MEMS cells have reported a degradation of the achievable trapped atom number due to a limited silicon frame thickness, which restricts the optical overlap volume within the cell. 13 A viable solution for both hot and cold atom MEMS cells would be an increased optical path length in line-of-sight cells.…”

Deep silicon cell fabrication for chip-scale atomic sensors

“…[9][10][11][12][13] Parallel to bringing cold-atom sensors into a portable apparatus, many research ventures have now focused on the development of chip-scale components to enable a scalability that is more competitive with thermal packages. Notable examples include micro-fabricated optics, 14 ion-pumps, 15 diffractive elements, 16 planar coils, 17,18 micro-electromechanical-systems (MEMS) ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) cells, 19,20 photonically integrated circuits and microfabricated alkali regulators. 21 However, a fully integrated cold-atom package on the chip-scale has thus far remained elusive.…”

Cold-atom shaping with MEMS scanning mirrors

“…Introduction. Over the last decades, significant effort has been directed toward reducing the size, weight, and power (SWaP) of cold-atom platforms, with recent research advances on compact vacuum cells [1][2][3], optical components for laser cooling [4][5][6][7][8], and magnetic trapping on "atom chips" [9,10]. As the maturity of cold atom platforms has advanced, work has more recently begun to focus on the surrounding technology for addressing and interrogating clouds of cold atoms.…”