RUI: Cold Atoms and Atomic Lifetimes and Engineering

United States Air Force Academy, U S A F Academy CO

Investigators

Abstract

This RUI activity consists of three projects involving atomic physics. The first project involves cold atom guiding ina hollow core photonic bandgap fiber. This fiber can transport both light and cold atoms in single optical and atomic de Broglie modes. The second project is the development of a black hole trap. Cold atoms will be produced using a magneto-optical trap and then will be transferred to another atomic state and captured by a black hole at the trap center. This black hole trap should allow production of very high atomic densities. The last project is a new technique for the measurement of atomic lifetimes using mode locked lasers. This technique will be used for improved measurement of lifetimes for excited states in atomic cesium. The broader impact involves the education of undergraduate students and the applications to sensors.