A Cavity Load Lock Apparatus for Next-Generation Quantum Optics Experiments

TL;DR

This paper introduces a vacuum loadlock technique that significantly reduces the time and effort needed to upgrade optical cavities in quantum optics experiments, enabling faster innovation and experimentation.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a novel vacuum loadlock apparatus that allows rapid swapping and baking of optical cavities, reducing cycle time from months to days.

Findings

Achieved vacuum pressure of 3x10^(-10) Torr in the science chamber.

Reduced cavity installation and replacement cycle time to days.

Facilitated quick exploration of new optical cavity designs.

Abstract

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), the study of the interaction between quantized emitters and photons confined in an optical cavity, is an important tool for quantum science in computing, networking, and synthetic matter. In atomic cavity QED, this approach typically relies upon an ultra-high vacuum chamber that hosts a cold trapped atomic ensemble and an optical cavity. Upgrading the cavity necessitates a months-long laborious process of removing external optics, venting, replacing the resonator, baking, and replacing optics, constituting a substantial bottleneck to innovation in resonator design. In this work, we demonstrate that the flexibility of optical cavities, and the quick turnaround time in switching between them, can be restored with the vacuum loadlock technique--reducing the cycle time to install a cavity, bake it, and transport it into the science chamber to days, achieving 3x10^(-10) Torr pressure in the science chamber. By reducing vacuum limitations, this approach is particularly powerful for labs interested in quickly exploring novel optic cavities, or any other atomic physics relying on in-vacuum optics.