Evan A. Salim

Microfluidic cell counter with embedded optical fibers fabricated by femtosecond laser ablation and anodic bonding

A simple fabrication technique to create all silicon/glass microfluidic devices is demonstrated using femtosecond laser ablation and anodic bonding. In a first application, we constructed a cell counting device based on small angle light scattering. The counter featured embedded optical fibers for multiangle excitation and detection of scattered light and/or fluorescence. The performance of the microfluidic cell counter was benchmarked against a commercial fluorescence-activated cell sorter.

A compact, transportable, microchip-based system for high repetition rate production of Bose–Einstein condensates

We present a compact, transportable system that produces Bose–Einstein condensates near the surface of an integrated atom microchip. The system occupies a volume of 0.4 m3, operates at a repetition rate as high as 0.3 Hz, and consumes an average power of 525 W. Evaporative cooling in a chip trap with trap frequencies of several kilohertz leads to nearly pure condensates containing 1.9×104 R87b atoms. Partial condensates are observed at a temperature of 1.58(8) μK, close to the theoretical transition temperature of 1.1 μK.We propose a compact atomic clock based on ultracold Rb atoms that are magnetically trapped near the surface of an atom microchip. An interrogation scheme that combines electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) with Ramseys method of separated oscillatory fields can achieve atomic shot-noise level performance of 10^{-13}/sqrt(tau) for 10^6 atoms. The EIT signal can be detected with a heterodyne technique that provides noiseless gain; with this technique the optical phase shift of a 100 pW probe beam can be detected at the photon shot-noise level. Numerical calculations of the density matrix equations are used to identify realistic operating parameters at which AC Stark shifts are eliminated. By considering fluctuations in these parameters, we estimate that AC Stark shifts can be canceled to a level better than 2*10^{-14}. An overview of the apparatus is presented with estimates of duty cycle and power consumption.

High resolution imaging and optical control of Bose-Einstein condensates in an atom chip magnetic trap

A high-resolution projection and imaging system for ultracold atoms is implemented using a compound silicon and glass atom chip. The atom chip is metalized to enable magnetic trapping while glass regions enable high numerical aperture optical access to atoms residing in the magnetic trap about 100 μm below the chip surface. The atom chip serves as a wall of the vacuum system, which enables the use of commercial microscope components for projection and imaging. Holographically generated light patterns are used to optically slice a cigar-shaped magnetic trap into separate regions; this has been used to simultaneously generate up to four Bose-condensates. Using fluorescence techniques, we have demonstrated in-trap imaging resolution down to 2.5 μm.

Compact, microchip-based systems for practical applications of ultracold atoms

We present a set of building blocks for constructing and utilizing compact, microchip-based, ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chambers for the practical deployment of cold- and ultracold-atom systems. We present two examples of chip-compatible approaches for miniaturizing UHV chambers—double-magneto-optical-trap cells and channel cells—as well as compact, free-space optical systems into which these cells can be easily inserted and quickly swapped. We discuss progress in atom chip technology, including miniature through-chip electrical feedthroughs and optical windows for transferring light between the trapping region on the chip and the ambient environment. As an example of the latter, we present some of the first through-chip fluorescence images of a Bose–Einstein condensate. High numerical apertures can be achieved with this technique, allowing for submicron resolution. Whether for optical detection, trapping, or control, such fine resolution will have numerous applications in quantum information, especially for experiments based on ultracold atoms trapped in optical lattices.

On-chip optical lattice for cold atom experiments

An atom-chip-based integrated optical lattice system for cold and ultracold atom applications is presented. The retroreflection optics necessary for forming the lattice are bonded directly to the atom chip, enabling a compact and robust on-chip optical lattice system. After achieving Bose-Einstein condensation in a magnetic chip trap, we load atoms directly into a vertically oriented 1D optical lattice and demonstrate Landau-Zener tunneling. The atom chip technology presented here can be readily extended to higher dimensional optical lattices.

A compact, moveable, microchip-based system for high repetition rate production of Bose-Einstein condensates

We present a compact, moveable system for producing Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) on an integrated microchip. The system occupies 0.4 m³ and operates as fast as 0.3 Hz. Condensates of 1.9 × 10⁴ atoms in ⁸⁷Rb have been demonstrated.

On-chip optical trapping for atomic applications

To simplify applications that rely on optical trapping of cold and ultracold atoms, ColdQuanta is developing techniques to incorporate miniature optical components onto in-vacuum atom chips. The result is a hybrid atom chip that combines an in-vacuum micro-optical bench for optical control with an atom chip for magnetic control. Placing optical components on a chip inside of the vacuum system produces a compact system that can be targeted to specific experiments, in this case the generation of optical lattices. Applications that can benefit from this technology include timekeeping, inertial sensing, gravimetry, quantum information, and emulation of quantum many-body systems. ColdQuanta’s GlasSi atom chip technology incorporates glass windows in the plane of a silicon atom chip. In conjunction with the in-vacuum micro-optical bench, optical lattices can be generated within a few hundred microns of an atom chip window through which single atomic lattice sites can be imaged with sub-micron spatial resolution. The result is a quantum gas microscope that allows optical lattices to be studied at the level of single lattice sites. Similar to what ColdQuanta has achieved with magneto-optical traps (MOTs) in its miniMOT system and with Bose- Einstein condensates (BECs) in its RuBECi(R) system, ColdQuanta seeks to apply the on-chip optical bench technology to studies of optical lattices in a commercially available, turnkey system. These techniques are currently being considered for lattice experiments in NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) slated for flight on the International Space Station.

An optically integrated microfluidic cell counter fabricated by femtosecond laser ablation and anodic bonding

We describe a method for integrating fiber optics in substrates by femtosecond laser ablation. In a first demonstration, we fabricate an optically integrated microfluidic device that counts cells by small angle light scattering.