On-chip optical lattice for cold atom experiments.

An atom-chip-based integrated optical lattice system for cold and ultracold atom applications is presented. The retroreflection optics necessary for forming the lattice are bonded directly to the atom chip, enabling a compact and robust on-chip optical lattice system. After achieving Bose-Einstein condensation in a magnetic chip trap, we load atoms directly into a vertically oriented 1D optical lattice and demonstrate Landau-Zener tunneling.

Ultraviolet photodissociation of vinyl iodide: understanding the halogen dependence of photodissociation mechanisms in vinyl halides.

The photodissociation of vinyl iodide has been investigated at several wavelengths between 193 and 266 nm using three techniques: time-resolved Fourier transform emission spectroscopy, multiple pass laser absorption spectroscopy, and velocity-mapped ion imaging. The only dissociation channel observed is C-I bond cleavage to produce C2H3 (nu, N) + I (2P(J)) at all wavelengths investigated. Unlike photodissociation of other vinyl halides (C2H3X, X = F, Cl, Br), in which the HX product channel is significant, no HI elimination is observed.

Modification of the velocity distribution of H(2) molecules in a supersonic beam by intense pulsed optical gradients.

We report the acceleration and deceleration of H(2) molecules in a supersonic molecular beam by means of its interaction with an intense optical gradient from a nanosecond far-off-resonant optical pulse. The strong optical gradients are formed in the interference pattern of two intense optical pulses at 532 nm. The velocity distribution of the molecular beam, before and after the applied optical pulse, is measured by a velocity-mapped ion imaging technique.

Multistage two-dimensional magneto-optical trap as a compact cold atom beam source.

A compact cold atom beam source based on a multistage two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (MOT) has been demonstrated and characterized. The multiple-stage design greatly reduces the overall size of the source apparatus while providing a high flux of atoms. The cold atom beam was used to load a separate MOT in ultrahigh vacuum, and we obtained an actual trap loading rate of 1.