Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modified Control Software For Imaging Ultracold Atomic Clouds, Dwight L. Whitaker, A. Sharma, J. M. Brown

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera capable of taking high-quality images of ultracold atomic samples can often represent a significant portion of the equipment costs in atom trapping experiment. We have modified the commercial control software of a CCD camera designed for astronomical imaging to take absorption images of ultracold rubidium clouds. This camera is sensitive at 780 nm and has been modified to take three successive 16-bit images at full resolution. The control software can be integrated into a Matlab graphical user interface with fitting routines written as Matlab functions. This camera is capable of recording high-quality images at a …