Creation of Quantum-Degenerate Gases of Ytterbium in a Compact 2D-/3D-MOT Setup

TL;DR

This paper presents a compact 2D-/3D-MOT setup for creating quantum-degenerate gases of ytterbium isotopes, enabling efficient production without a Zeeman slower and offering high optical access for future experiments.

Contribution

The authors develop the first experimental setup using a 2D-/3D-MOT scheme to produce Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases of ytterbium isotopes, simplifying the process and increasing experimental flexibility.

Findings

Successful creation of Bose-Einstein condensates of ytterbium.

Production of degenerate Fermi gases of ytterbium isotopes.

Setup does not require a Zeeman slower, simplifying the apparatus.

Abstract

We report on the first experimental setup based on a 2D-/3D-MOT scheme to create both Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases of several ytterbium isotopes. Our setup does not require a Zeeman slower and offers the flexibility to simultaneously produce ultracold samples of other atomic species. Furthermore, the extraordinary optical access favors future experiments in optical lattices. A 2D-MOT on the strong 1S0-1P1 transition captures ytterbium directly from a dispenser of atoms and loads a 3D-MOT on the narrow 1S0-3P1 intercombination transition. Subsequently, atoms are transferred to a crossed optical dipole trap and cooled evaporatively to quantum degeneracy.