Apparatus for Optical-Atomic System Integration & Calibration: 1 atm to 1$\times$10$^{-11}$ Torr in 24h

TL;DR

This paper introduces a rapid loadlock system that can evacuate a UHV chamber to ultracold atom conditions within 24 hours, significantly speeding up testing and development of integrated quantum devices.

Contribution

The authors develop a novel loadlock apparatus enabling quick venting, exchange, and evacuation of UHV chambers, reducing preparation time from weeks to under a day for quantum optical systems.

Findings

Achieved evacuation to <1×10^{-11} Torr in under 24 hours.

Enabled rapid testing of photonic devices with ultracold atoms.

Facilitated faster prototyping for chip-scale quantum systems.

Abstract

Ultracold atoms exquisitely controlled by lasers are the quantum foundation, particularly for sensing, timekeeping, and computing, of state-of-the-art quantum science and technology. However, the laboratory-scale infrastructure for such optical-atomic quantum apparatuses rarely translates into commercial applications. A promising solution is miniaturizing the optical layouts onto a chip-scale device integrated with cold atoms inside a compact ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chamber. For prototyping purposes, however, rapidly loading or exchanging test photonic devices into a UHV chamber is limited by the evacuation time from atmospheric pressures to the optimal pressures for ultracold atoms of $1\times10^{-11}$ Torr, a process typically taking weeks or months without cryogenics. Here, we present a loadlock apparatus and loading procedure capable of venting, exchanging, and evacuating back to $<1\times10^{-11}$ Torr in under 24 hours. Our system allows for rapid testing and benchmarking of various photonic devices with ultracold atoms.