Method and system for trapping, cooling, and compressing neutral atoms, molecules, and particles with laser pulses

Territory

Bulgaria

Inventor(s)

Lyubomir Milchev Kovachev, Ekaterina Ivanova Yordanova, Georgi Petkov Yankov

Applicant(s)/Owner(s)

Institute of Solid State Physics "Acad. Georgi Nadzhakov” – BAS, BG, Sofia, 1784, 72 Tsarigradsko Shosse Blvd., Academician Emil Djakov Institute of electronics - BAS, BG, Sofia, 1784, 72 Tsarigradsko Shosse Blvd

Application number

113628/ 14.12.2022

Publication number

67760/ 07.07.2025

Priority date

December 14, 2022

Status

Granted

Issued license, type, duration

License holder(s)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for trapping, cooling, and compressing neutral atoms, molecules, and particles with laser pulses, which find applications in physics, nonlinear optics, nuclear physics, and scientific research in various fields of science. The method consists of irradiating them with short laser pulses with energies ranging from a minimum of 0.1 nJ to 2 mJ with a duration in the femtosecond range when focused in a saturated medium of neutral atoms, molecules, and particles. According to the method, they are irradiated with short laser pulses with energies ranging from a minimum of 0.5 mJ to 2 mJ, obtained by splitting a single laser beam into two laser beams at a distance of 1 cm to 1 mm between them, with a duration in the femtosecond range. Helium, hydrogen, or other gas vapors from light elements are used as the saturated medium. The system for trapping, cooling, and compressing neutral atoms, molecules, and particles includes a pulsed-mode femtosecond laser at the output, on which an optical lens, a vacuum tube, and quartz windows are located at a distance from each other in the direction of the laser beam on a common optical axis. a vacuum tube, with quartz windows fixed to the flanges located at the outer ends of the vacuum tube, and a fixed tap connected to the vacuum pump at the upper end of the vacuum tube flange, opposite the optical lens, there is a fixed tap connected to the vacuum pump, and at the lower end of the flange there is a fixed tap connected to a gas cylinder. On the sides of the vacuum tube opposite the middle and part on a movable XY table there is an observation chamber and a spectrometer. According to another embodiment of the system for trapping, cooling, and compressing neutral atoms, molecules, and particles, it includes a laser in pulse mode—a femtosecond laser at the output, on which, in the direction of the laser radiation, a light splitter is located at a distance from each other, which splits the laser beam into two laser beams, one of which is connected to a delay line, and each of the two laser beams is connected to a separate expander. Opposite the expanders is a vacuum tube, and quartz windows are fixed to the outer ends of the vacuum tube. The upper end of the vacuum tube flange, located opposite the expanders, has a fixed tap connected to a vacuum pump, and at its lower end there is a fixed tap connected to a gas cylinder. On the sides of the vacuum tube opposite the middle part of the vacuum tube, an observation chamber and a spectrometer are located on a movable XY table.