Ultra-cold-matter system with thermally-isolated nested source cell

摘要

In a disclosed embodiment, an ultra-cold-matter (UCM) system includes a source cell nested within a hermetically-sealed ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) enclosure. Source particles, e.g., strontium atoms, can be generated within the source cell by heating a non-vapor-phase source material. The source cell is thermally isolated, e.g., by UHV, from the enclosure. Accordingly, heat is retained in the source cell, reducing the amount of heat that must be generated in the source cell to generate the vapor-phase source particles. Particles can exit the source cell to an UHV ultra-cold region where the source particles can be cooled to produce ultra-cold particles thermally isolated from the heat within the source cell.

主权项

1. An ultra-cold-matter (UCM) system comprising:
a hermetically-sealed ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) enclosure; a source cell having a source-cell enclosure, the source cell being nested within the UHV enclosure, the source cell being physically attached to and separated from the UHV enclosure so as to be thermally isolated from the UHV enclosure; a source material in a non-vapor phase and disposed within the source cell, said source material being characterized in that vapor-phase source atoms can be released from the source material; a cold-atom trap for cooling at least some of the vapor-phase source atoms to an ultra-cold temperature; and an atom getter for maintaining an ultra-high vacuum within the UHV enclosure at least in part by causing at least some of the vapor-phase source atoms to be sorbed to or into a getter material, the atom getter being disposed within the UHV enclosure and outside the source cell.