Sub-Doppler laser cooling and magnetic trapping of erbium

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates efficient sub-Doppler laser cooling and magnetic trapping of erbium atoms, achieving temperatures below 25 microkelvin, enabling advanced studies in rare-earth atomic physics.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of sub-Doppler cooling in erbium under large magnetic fields due to near degeneracy of Lande g factors, and demonstrates a continuously loaded magnetic trap.

Findings

Sub-Doppler cooling persists at large magnetic fields.

Temperatures below 25 microkelvin achieved in magnetic trap.

Potential for advanced studies in rare-earth atomic physics.

Abstract

We investigate cooling mechanisms in magneto-optically and magnetically trapped erbium. We find efficient sub-Doppler cooling in our trap, which can persist even in large magnetic fields due to the near degeneracy of two Lande g factors. Furthermore, a continuously loaded magnetic trap is demonstrated where we observe temperatures below 25 microkelvin. These favorable cooling and trapping properties suggest a number of scientific possibilities for rare-earth atomic physics, including narrow linewidth laser cooling and spectroscopy, unique collision studies, and degenerate bosonic and fermionic gases with long-range magnetic dipole coupling.