Method for generating cold atomic beam, apparatus for generating cold atomic beam, and atomic interferometer
AssigneesJapan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited, Tokyo Institute of Technology
InventorsRyotaro INOUE, Mikio KOZUMA, Atsushi TANAKA
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Abstract
Provided is a cold atomic beam generation technology that causes a cold atomic beam to travel in a direction different from the traveling direction of a pushing laser beam. The pushing laser beam is used to generate a cold atomic beam from atoms trapped in a space. Next, the cold atomic beam is deflected by using a zero magnetic field line of a quadrupole magnetic field in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism or by using a drift direction of a standing light wave in a moving molasses mechanism.
Claims5
A method for generating a cold atomic beam, the method comprising:
- generating the cold atomic beam from atoms trapped in a space, by using a pushing laser beam;
- and
- deflecting the cold atomic beam, wherein
- in the deflecting of the cold atomic beam, the cold atomic beam is deflected by using a zero magnetic field line of a quadrupole magnetic field in a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism or by using a drift direction of a standing light wave in a moving molasses mechanism.
An apparatus for generating a cold atomic beam, the apparatus comprising:
- an atomic source;
- a cold atomic beam generator to generate the cold atomic beam from atoms come from the atomic source and trapped in a space, by using a pushing laser beam;
- and
- an atomic beam deflector that the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator enters, wherein
- the atomic beam deflector includes a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism or a moving molasses mechanism,
- a traveling direction of the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator matches a traveling direction of the pushing laser beam,
- in a case where the atomic beam deflector includes the two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism, a zero magnetic field line of a quadrupole magnetic field in the two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism intersects the traveling direction of the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator, and
- in a case where the atomic beam deflector includes the moving molasses mechanism, a drift direction of a standing light wave in the moving molasses mechanism intersects the traveling direction of the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator.
An atomic interferometer comprising:
- a cold atomic beam generation apparatus to continuously generate a cold atomic beam;
- a moving standing light wave generator to generate three or more moving standing light waves;
- and
- an interference device to obtain an atomic beam as a result of interaction between the cold atomic beam and the three or more moving standing light waves, wherein
- the cold atomic beam generation apparatus includes
- an atomic source,
- a cold atomic beam generator to generate a cold atomic beam from atoms come from the atomic source and trapped in a space, by using a pushing laser beam, and
- an atomic beam deflector that the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator enters,
- the atomic beam deflector includes a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism or a moving molasses mechanism,
- a traveling direction of the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator matches a traveling direction of the pushing laser beam,
- in a case where the atomic beam deflector includes the two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism, a zero magnetic field line of a quadrupole magnetic field in the two-dimensional magneto-optical trap mechanism intersects the traveling direction of the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator, and
- in a case where the atomic beam deflector includes the moving molasses mechanism, a drift direction of a standing light wave in the moving molasses mechanism intersects the traveling direction of the cold atomic beam from the cold atomic beam generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.