Development of cold-atom sources for quantum technologies

This project is suitable for those with an interest in developing new apparatus that will be applied to practical devices. We have developed a compact source of cold rubidium atoms based on a novel (patented) design of magneto-optical trap and we are collaborating with a laser company based in Scotland (M Squared Lasers) to commercialise this work. In this project we will develop a compact source of laser-cooled strontium atoms working with that company and other interested parties. Strontium requires a considerably different approach to that used for rubidium and developing the experimental methods into a robust and reliable system is the primary task.

We anticipate that there will be considerable demand for sources of cold strontium since they are necessary for clocks that use atoms in optical lattices (strontium clocks are currently the world-leading technology), matter-wave interferometers (for which one of the strontium isotopes is very suitable), as well as more fundamental research work on ultracold molecules and quantum gases. In summary, strontium has considerable advantages for quantum technology but it is not (yet) used so widely as rubidium because it requires more complicated apparatus. The technical issues will be addressed in this project and the cold-atom source will be demonstrated by building a matter-wave interferometer. Collaborations with other research teams to demonstrate other applications are likely.

This project falls under the EPSRC Quantum devices components and systems theme