Competition of magneto-optical and optical lattice trapping

Measurements are reported that probe the redistribution of cold /sup 85/Rb atoms between a continuously working magneto-optical trap (MOT) and 1D optical lattice imposed over it. The performed procedure provides a simple and versatile way of a real-time, nondestructive monitoring of the cold atom transfer from the non-localized MOT phase into the optical lattice.

Measurements are reported that probe the redistribution of cold ⁸⁵Rb atoms between a continuously working magneto-optical trap (MOT) and 1D optical lattice imposed over it. The lattice dipole potential is formed by an optical standing wave, blue-detuned by 140 MHz from the 780 nm trapping transition. The probe beam, phase-locked and quasi collinear with the lattice beams is used for recording absorption spectra at . The two lattice beams can either have the same polarization and form a periodic lattice potential, or be orthogonally polarized (linearly or circularly). The probe beam can be also arbitrarily polarized. The absorption spectra recorded in such geometry reveal the recoil-induced resonances (RIR) associated with the atomic momentum distribution along, as well as transverse to, the lattice beams. The temperature of atoms trapped in the MOT is controlled by the MOT-beam intensities and/or detunings. This temperature is conveniently and nondestructively measured by the RIR technique [1], [2].