If this is the world’s best lab, it has more to do with the awesome and enthusiastic students than the professor. Thanks for making us “group mugs” Lucas!
Category Archives: Research News
First Lithium-6 MOT
We’re now offically a dual-species experiment. It’s not as big and bright as our lithium-7 MOT, but we’ve managed to magneto-optically trap lithium-6, even though the lithium vapor source currently installed in the 2DMOT only contains about 7% lithium-6 (that’s the natural isotope abundance). After we install an enriched Li-6 vapor source and make some other improvements (grey molasses cooling beams) we’ll be ready to load both isotopes into an optical dipole trap. Quantum degeneracy here we come!
Li-7 MOT for the New Year
Our intense efforts during the winter “break” were rewarded this afternoon with the birth of a bright little ball of ultracold lithium-7 at the center of the 3DMOT chamber. It looked pretty robust even without setting up the push beam for the 2DMOT! The lithium-6 MOT should be running very soon as well. 2016 is going to be a very interesting year in the lab.
- Lithium 7 MOT North Side View
- Lithium 7 MOT with room lights off
- Lithium 7 MOT South Side View
- 3DMOT chamber side view
- Muzzle view of 2DMOT nozzle from 3DMOT
- Breech view of 2DMOT chamber
- Master Laser table, with only Li7 lasers running