The present disclosure provides an optical system (100) for controlling atoms. The optical system (100) comprises a laser source (10) for generating a laser beam at a carrier frequency and microwave and radio frequency (MW/RF) sources (41 and 45) for generating I and Q modulation signals at a set of frequencies, wherein the set of frequencies comprises at least two frequencies. The optical system (100) further comprises an IQ modulator (20) configured for receiving the laser beam and the generated signals at the set of frequencies and for outputting an output laser beam (Eout) based on the received laser beam and the generated signals at the set of frequencies, wherein the output laser beam (Eout) comprises multi-toned optical single-sidebands (MT-OSSB) at the set of frequencies with the carrier frequency being suppressed.

Disclosed is an optical trap calibration apparatus and method based on variation of electric field by optical imaging of a nanoparticle. By means of a direct optical imaging method, a linear nanoparticle equilibrium position displacement under the action of a constant electric field is measured to realize calibration, thereby avoiding the introduction of error signals, and improving the reliability of differential calibration. The specific calibration method and apparatus of the present invention are not only suitable for calibration of electric field quantity, but also suitable for the calibration of other magnetic forces and the like. By means of the accurate calibration of mechanical quantity in the present invention, the development and application of the vacuum optical trap sensing technology can be promoted.

A method of creating an optical atom trap comprises the steps of providing an incoherent light field with a light source apparatus, by creating a pulsed laser light beam of laser pulses with a repetition rate equal to or above 100 kHz and a relative spectral width of 10.sup.−4 to 10.sup.−2, coupling the pulsed laser light beam to an input end of a multimode waveguide device and guiding the pulsed laser light beam by total internal reflection to an output end of the multimode waveguide device, wherein the incoherent light field is provided at the output end, and creating the optical atom trap for trapping atoms in an atom trap chamber device by coupling the incoherent light field to the atom trap chamber device, wherein the optical atom trap has a trap frequency and the atoms have multiple resonance frequencies, and the laser pulses for providing the incoherent light field are created such that the repetition rate is above the trap frequency and the spectral width is below a spectral range between the resonance frequencies. Furthermore, an optical atom trap apparatus for optically trapping atoms is described.

Disclosed is a multi-dimensional optical tweezers calibration device based on electric field quantity calibration and a method thereof. The polarization-dependent characteristics of a tightly focused optical trap are utilized to realize triaxial electric field force calibration of particles through a one-dimensional electric field quantity calibration device. The method of the present application enables a particle electric field force calibration system to be compatible with particle delivery and particle detection systems; the device is simplified and calibration complexity is reduced.

Beamformers are formed (e.g., carved) from a stack of transparent sheets. A rear face of each sheet has a reflective coating. The reflectivities of the coatings vary monotonically with sheet position within the stack. The sheets are tilted relative to the intended direction of an input beam and then bonded to form the stack. The carving can include dicing the stack to yield stacklets, and polishing the stacklets to form beamformers. Each beamformer is thus a stack of beamsplitters, including a front beamsplitter in the form of a triangular or trapezoidal prism, and one or more beamsplitters in the form of rhomboid prisms. In use, a beamformer forms an output beam from an input beam. More specifically, the beamformer splits an input beam into plural output beam components that collectively constitute an output beam that differs in cross section from the input beam.

In some variations, an interferometric frequency-reference apparatus comprises: an atom source configured to supply neutral atoms to be ionized; an ionizer configured to excite the neutral atoms to form ionized atoms; an ion collimator configured to form a collimated beam of the ionized atoms; probe lasers; and a Doppler laser configured to determine a ground-state population of the ionized atoms, wherein the atom source, the ionizer, and the ion collimator are disposed within a vacuum chamber. Other variations provide a method of creating a stable frequency reference, comprising: forming ionized atoms from an atomic vapor; forming a collimated beam of ionized atoms; illuminating ionized atoms with first and second probe lasers; adjusting the frequencies of the first probe and second probe lasers using Ramsey spectroscopy to an S.fwdarw.D transition of ionized atoms; and determining a ground-state population of the ionized atoms with another laser.

An atomic beam is irradiated with a first, a second, and a third laser beam. The first laser beam and the third laser beam each have a wavelength corresponding to a transition between a ground state and a first excited state. The second laser beam has a wavelength corresponding to a transition between the ground state and a second excited state. First, atoms each having a smaller velocity component than a predetermined velocity in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the atomic beam are changed from the ground state to the first excited state by the first laser beam. Subsequently, a momentum is provided for individual atoms in the ground state by the second laser beam, which removes the atoms from the atomic beam. Finally, atoms in the first excited state are returned from the first excited state to the ground state by the third laser beam.

A method for enhancing vacuum tolerance of optical levitation particles includes steps of: (1) turning on a trapping laser to form an optical trap, loading the particles to an effective capture region of the optical trap, and collecting scattered light signals; (2) turning on the preheating laser, and directing a preheating laser beam to the captured particles; (3) adjusting a power of the preheating laser until a particle heating rate is larger than a heat dissipation rate; (4) turning on the vacuum pump, and stopping evacuating when a vacuum degree is greater than a vacuum inflection point of a first reduction of the effective capture region of the optical trap; and (5) turning off the preheating laser when the scattered light signals collected by the photodetector no longer changes. The present invention improves a stable capture probability of the particles in high vacuum environment.

A micro-thrust and micro-impulse application device and method generates micro-thrust to a target by light pressure action from laser reflection. The device comprises a laser, a laser adjustment device, a beam splitter, a shutter, a reflector, and a laser power meter. Laser beam is generated by laser, adjusted by laser adjustment device, and divided into two paths by beam splitter. Laser in one path is measured at laser power meter; power measured determines magnitude for micro-thrust. In another path, it irradiates on the reflector on the target via shutter for generating micro-thrust. Light reflected by the reflector arrives at another laser power meter. Power of two laser paths are measured in real time by two laser power meters, acting micro-thrust is calculated by combining parameters including reflectivity and incident angle of laser irradiating the reflector, and light output power of the laser is adjusted in real time.

A magneto-optical trap chamber includes a first waveplate; a second waveplate; a first mirror positioned between the first waveplate and the second waveplate; a prism extending from the first mirror and positioned between the first waveplate and the second waveplate; and a second mirror positioned under the first waveplate, the second waveplate, the first mirror, and the prism. The second mirror may include a direct bonded copper (DBC) chip. The first waveplate and the second waveplate may be parallel to each other. The first mirror may be orthogonal to each of the first waveplate and the second waveplate. The prism may have a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the first mirror, and the second end is connected to the second mirror. The prism may extend from the first mirror to the second mirror at an acute angle.