Optical Trapping and Transport of Ultracold Erbium Atoms

Péter Juhász - Pembroke College - University of Oxford
2019 - PhD 1^st year report

Many ultracold atoms experiments use two linked vacuum chambers, so it is necessary to transport atomic clouds over several tens of cm. This report describes the design, construction and testing of a proposed all-optical system for trapping and transporting ultracold erbium atoms. The system uses a high-power laser beam to create an optical dipole trap for the atoms, and lenses whose focal length can be tuned electronically to change the trap position. The theory of the proposed system is reviewed and the project is put into the context of the wider experiment. Results of tests of the transport system are presented and the building of the test version of the transport system is reported.