Methods for Preparing Quantum Gases of Lithium

TL;DR

This paper reviews various experimental methods for preparing and cooling lithium quantum gases, highlighting techniques to overcome lithium's unique challenges and providing spectral data and Feshbach resonance plots.

Contribution

It compiles and discusses methods for trapping, cooling, and manipulating lithium atoms, including spectral diagrams and Feshbach resonance data, aiding future quantum gas experiments.

Findings

Spectral diagrams for $^6$Li and $^7$Li provided.

Plots of Feshbach resonances for both isotopes included.

Methods reviewed improve lithium quantum gas preparation.

Abstract

Lithium is an important element in atomic quantum gas experiments because its interactions are highly tunable, due to broad Feshbach resonances and zero-crossings, and because it has two stable isotopes, $^6$Li, a fermion, and $^7$Li, a boson. Although lithium has special value for these reasons, it also presents experimental challenges. In this article, we review some of the methods that have been developed or adapted to confront these challenges, including beam and vapor sources, Zeeman slowers, sub-Doppler laser cooling, laser sources at 671 nm, and all-optical methods for trapping and cooling. Additionally, we provide spectral diagrams of both $^6$Li and $^7$Li, and present plots of Feshbach resonances for both isotopes.