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arXiv · 2507.07925

Single-Beam Magneto-Optical Trap in Back-to-Back Pyramidal and Conical Mirrors

Timothy H. Nguyen·Mariam Mchedlidze·Guanghui Su·Balthazar Loglia·Hanbo Yang·Xuejian Wu
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Abstract

A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT), as an efficient method of producing cold atoms from room-temperature atomic vapor, has been widely used to develop atomic sensors. Various compact MOTs using a single laser beam have been reported, simplifying apparatuses and leading to miniaturized devices. Here, we propose single-beam MOTs based on back-to-back pyramidal and conical mirrors. In such back-to-back mirrors, a MOT trapping volume is formed by an incident laser beam, a retroreflected beam, and multiple reflections from the mirror surfaces. We present the design of back-to-back mirrors and a series of compact MOT configurations, with the potential of increasing access to the MOT and simultaneously creating multiple MOTs. We demonstrate a MOT in a back-to-back conical mirror, loading 10 million rubidium-87 atoms from background vapor and cooling the atoms to 7 μK using polarization gradients. Single-beam MOTs based on back-to-back mirrors will contribute to building compact and scalable cold-atom-based sensors.

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Timothy H. Nguyen, Mariam Mchedlidze, Guanghui Su, Balthazar Loglia, Hanbo Yang, Xuejian Wu. 2025-10-21. Single-Beam Magneto-Optical Trap in Back-to-Back Pyramidal and Conical Mirrors. https://doi.org/10.1103/dkbj-8zfx

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