A reflective particle tag reader system includes a read head assembly having a camera, illuminators, and a rigid frame portion for supporting the camera and the illuminators. The illuminators illuminate a focal point located opposite the camera where a reflective particle tag is placed. A computer in data communication with the camera receives and store images of the reflective particle tag that are acquired by the camera. The computer is programmed to process video images and to quantify a positional alignment parameter and an angular alignment parameter of the reader with respect to the reflective particle tag. A rapid burst of image frames is obtained in response to the positional alignment and the angular alignment parameters being within a predetermined tolerance and identity of the reflective tag is established between a first image set and a second image set.

A system and method for controlling particles using projected light are provided. In some aspects, the method includes generating a beam of light using an optical source, and directing the beam of light to a beam filter comprising a first mask, a first lens, a second mask, and a second lens. The method also includes forming an optical pattern using the beam filter, and projecting the optical pattern on a plurality of particles to control their locations in space.

A method determines a total velocity average cross-section parameter .sub.tot in a relationship of the form .sub.loss(U)=n.sub.b.sub.tot.Math.(U, U.sub.d), where: .sub.loss(U) is a rate of exponential loss of sensor atoms from a cold atom sensor trap of trap depth potential energy U in a vacuum environment due to collisions with residual particles in the vacuum environment; n.sub.b is a number density of residual particles in the vacuum environment; U.sub.d is a parameter given by

[00001]$U_d=\sqrt{2.Math.k_B.Math.T/m_{\mathrm{bg}}}.Math.\frac{4.Math..Math..Math.{}^2}{m_t.Math.{}_{\mathrm{tot}}.Math.v}$

which relates the masses of the sensor atoms m.sub.t and residual particles m.sub.bg to the total velocity average cross-section parameter .sub.tot; and (U, U.sub.d) is a function of the trap depth potential energy U and the parameter U.sub.d which models a naturally occurring

A three-dimensional magneto-optical trap (3D GMOT) configured to trap a cold-atom cloud is disclosed. The 3D GMOT includes a single input light beam having its direction along a first axis, an area along a second and third axis that are both normal to the first axis, and a substantially flat input light beam intensity profile extending across its area. The 3D GMOT may also include a circular, diffraction-grating surface positioned normal to the first axis and having closely adjacent grooves arranged concentrically around a gap formed in its center. The circular, diffraction-grating surface is configured to diffract first-order light beams that intersect within an intersection region that lies directly above the gap and suppresses reflections and diffractions of all other orders. The 3D GMOT may further include a quadrupole magnetic field with its magnitude being zero within the intersection region.

An optical microstructure is configured to work with an optical fiber or a different substrate and the optical microstructure includes a beam converter including a tapered optical guide configured to transform a gaussian optical beam into a first annular optical beam; an inverted cone having first and second reflection surfaces, each configured to reflect the first annular optical beam, having a radius R1, so that a resulting second annular optical beam has a radius R2 larger than the radius R1; and a prism having a reflection surface configured to reflect the second annular optical beam to form a third converging annular optical beam. The third converging annular optical beam includes plural single optical beams that intersect at a given crossing point, outside the optical microstructure. The plural single optical beams form an optical trap.

The present invention relates to a two-dimensional magnetic-optical trap system using frequency and phase modulation with an arbitrary waveform, including: a glass cell; a coil set; and a light source module, wherein the laser source module includes: a cooling laser; a re-pumping laser; a first acousto-optic modulator; a second acousto-optic modulator; and an electro-optical modulator.

An apparatus for trapping and sensing nanoparticles using plasmonic nanopores, comprising a conductive transparent layer, a conductive film layer mounted to a substrate, the film layer comprising a plurality of nanopores for trapping nanoparticles contained in a fluid situated between the conductive transparent layer and the conductive film layer, and an electric field source connected between the transparent layer and the film layer.

An inertial point-source matter-wave atom interferometer gyroscope includes an analyzer that receives fringe images of gyroscope atoms and includes: a first fringe image that includes a first fringe phase, a second fringe image that includes a second fringe phase; and a third fringe image that includes a third fringe phase, wherein the first fringe phase, the second fringe phase, and the third fringe phase are different; a phase mapper of the analyzer that produces a interferometric phase map for the gyroscope atoms from the fringe images of the gyroscope atoms; and a fitter of the analyzer in communication with the phase mapper and that receives the interferometric phase map from the analyzer and determines inertial parameters of the gyroscope atoms from the interferometric phase map, the inertial parameters including an acceleration and a rotation rate of the inertial point-source matter-wave atom interferometer gyroscope relative to the gyroscope atoms.

One example includes a MOT system. The system includes first optical source configured to provide a plurality of first optical beams parallel to a central axis associated with the MOT system, and a first set of optics configured to focus the first optical beams to the central axis through a trapping region comprising a vapor of atoms. The system also includes a second optical source configured to provide a plurality of second optical beams parallel to the central axis associated with the MOT system, and a second set of optics configured to focus the second optical beams to the central axis through the trapping region. Each of the second optical beams can be coaxial with a respective one of the first optical beams, such that each of the first optical beams is counterpropagating with a respective one of the second optical beams.

In some variations, an interferometric frequency-reference apparatus comprises: an atom source configured to supply neutral atoms; a collimator configured to form a collimated beam of the neutral atoms; one or more probe lasers; and a Doppler laser configured to determine a ground-state population of the neutral atoms. Other variations provide a method of creating a stable frequency reference, comprising: forming a collimated beam of neutral atoms; illuminating the neutral atoms with first and second probe lasers; adjusting the frequencies of the first probe laser and second probe laser using Ramsey spectroscopy to an S.fwdarw.D transition of the neutral atoms; and determining a ground-state population of the neutral atoms with another laser. The interferometric frequency-reference apparatus may provide an optical frequency reference or a microwave frequency reference.