Abstract

A thermal atomic beam from a cesium oven was slowed down by use of the Hoffnagle modified white-light cooling technique. In addition, the atomic beam was collimated by use of a two-dimensional optical molasses that was installed transverse to the atomic-beam direction. The flux of the atomic beam was $2\times {10}^{10} \mathrm{atoms}/\mathrm{s},$ an increase of a factor of 16 as a result of the collimation. The mean longitudinal velocity was ∼24.4 m/s, and the rms velocity spread of the slowed atomic beam was ∼1 m/s. Compared with other methods, we found that the Hoffnagle method is suitable for the generation of slow atomic beams to be used in an atomic clock, which requires an ultralow magnetic field environment. This atomic beam was deflected by an angle of 30° by a one-dimensional optical molasses to separate it from laser light and high-velocity atoms.

© 2002 Optical Society of America

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