Two-species magneto-optical trap with ${}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ and ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$

We trap and cool a gas composed of ${}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ and ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb},$ using a two-species magneto-optical trap (MOT). This trap represents the first step towards cooling the Bose-Fermi mixture to quantum degeneracy. Laser light for the MOT is derived from laser diodes and amplified with a single high-power semiconductor amplifier chip. The four-color laser system is described, and the single-species and two-species MOTs are characterized. Atom numbers of $1\times {10}^7$ ${}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ and $2\times {10}^9$ ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ are trapped in the two-species MOT. Observation of trap loss due to collisions between species is presented and future prospects for the experiment are discussed.