Eur. Phys. J. D 13, 71-82 (2001)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100530170289

Sodium MOT collection efficiency as a function of the trapping and repumping laser frequencies and intensities

¹ Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Ferrara and INFN, sezione di Ferrara, via Paradiso 12, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
² INFM and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Siena, via Banchi di Sotto 55/57, 53100 Siena, Italy
³ Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare del CNR, via Alfieri 1, 56010 Ghezzano, Pisa, Italy

Corresponding author: ^a moi@unisi.it

Received: 10 February 2000
Revised: 27 July 2000
Published online: 15 January 2001

Abstract

A detailed theoretical and experimental description of a sodium MOT as a function of the pumping and repumping laser frequencies and intensities is given. The effective trapping schemes and the collection efficiency have been experimentally measured and calculated by solving an original 3D model. This model considers the whole bunch of the 32 ground and excited (P_1/2 + P_3/2) Zeeman sublevels, the actual trap geometry, the magnetic field intensity and direction, the light polarization, and evaluates both the velocity capture range v_c and the number of trapped particles N. Synergetic and competition mechanisms due to the trapping and repumping lasers have been predicted and experimentally observed. The model simulation has been compared with the results reported in the literature and with those obtained by us and a quite good agreement has been found. The model can be easily adapted to the other sodium isotopes as well as to all the other alkalis.