Reconstruction of a Cold Atom Cloud by Magnetic Focusing

C. V. Saba; P. A. Barton; M. G. Boshier; I. G. Hughes; P. Rosenbusch; B. E. Sauer; E. A. Hinds

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.468

Reconstruction of a Cold Atom Cloud by Magnetic Focusing

C. V. Saba, P. A. Barton, M. G. Boshier, I. G. Hughes, P. Rosenbusch, B. E. Sauer, and E. A. Hinds

Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 468 – Published 18 January 1999

Abstract

We have imaged an $18 μ K$ cloud of $^{85} Rb$ atoms bouncing freely on a horizontal, concave magnetic atom mirror (radius of curvature $R$ ). A high-quality image is observed even after 14 reflections. Initially compact, the cloud is alternately collimated (odd bounces) and brought back to a focus (even bounces) when dropped from a height $R / 4$ . This multiple reconstruction of a thermally expanding cloud hinges on the microscopic reversal of the atomic motion. We discuss the factors limiting the resolution of the mirror and describe the method of construction.