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Two-Photon Ionization Of The Calcium 4s3d 1d2 Level In An Optical Dipole Trap, Jared Estus Daily
Two-Photon Ionization Of The Calcium 4s3d 1d2 Level In An Optical Dipole Trap, Jared Estus Daily
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis reports an optical dipole trap for atomic calcium. The dipole trap is loaded from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) of calcium atoms cooled near the Doppler limit (~1 mK). The dipole trap is formed by a large-frame argon ion laser focused to 20 microns into the center of the MOT. This laser runs single-line at 488 nm with a maximum power of 10.6 watts. These parameters result in a trap of 125 mK for calcium atoms in the 4s3d 1D2 state. The 488 nm light also photo-ionizes the trapped atoms due to a near-resonant transition to the 4s4f 1F3 …
Optical Detection Of Ultracold Neutral Calcium Plasmas, Elizabeth Ann Cummings
Optical Detection Of Ultracold Neutral Calcium Plasmas, Elizabeth Ann Cummings
Theses and Dissertations
We demonstrate an optical method to detect calcium ions in an ultracold plasma. We probe the plasma with a 397 nm laser beam tuned to a calcium ion transition. The probe laser beam is focused to a 160 µm waist allowing fine spatial resolution. Ions are detected by measuring fluorescence using a Photo-Multiplier Tube (PMT). The signal, an average of 4000 acquisitions, has a temporal resolution of 120 ns. We present the details of this method, potential improvements, and prospects of imaging the expanding plasma ions. We also present preliminary work on spatially resolved absorption measurements, as well as additional …