TY - JOUR
T1 - Trap loss in a metastable helium-rubidium magneto-optical trap
AU - Byron, L. J.
AU - Dall, R. G.
AU - Truscott, A. G.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - We present results of the study of a simultaneously confined metastable helium (He*) and rubidium magneto-optical trap (MOT). By monitoring the trap decay of the Rb87 MOT with and without a He* MOT present, we find the light-assisted, two-body loss rate to be βRb-He*=(6±2) ×10-10 cm3/s. Moreover, we find that it is possible to create a large, robust Rb87-He* MOT, opening the possibility of creating a Rb87-He* Bose-Einstein condensate. This would be the first dual-species condensate incorporating an alkali metal ground-state atom and an excited-state noble gas atom.
AB - We present results of the study of a simultaneously confined metastable helium (He*) and rubidium magneto-optical trap (MOT). By monitoring the trap decay of the Rb87 MOT with and without a He* MOT present, we find the light-assisted, two-body loss rate to be βRb-He*=(6±2) ×10-10 cm3/s. Moreover, we find that it is possible to create a large, robust Rb87-He* MOT, opening the possibility of creating a Rb87-He* Bose-Einstein condensate. This would be the first dual-species condensate incorporating an alkali metal ground-state atom and an excited-state noble gas atom.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=73649137201&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.013405
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.013405
M3 - Article
SN - 1050-2947
VL - 81
JO - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
JF - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
IS - 1
M1 - 013405
ER -