Creighton University, Department of Physics

Jonathan P. Wrubel, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)

This is the research group page of the Laser-Cooled Atoms Group at Creighton University led by Dr. Jonathan Wrubel. Our group is building an experiment to probe quantum physics in a Bose-Einstein condensate of ⁴¹K (potassium-41).  This facinating state of matter is made by using lasers to cool gas atoms down to temperature below a millionth of a degree above absolute zero.  This novel state allows us to study quantum magnetism.

News

• February 2018: Science chamber has been baked for 1.5 weeks at ~175˚C, and pumped down to 7.6x10^-11 Torr. This is 1 part in 10 trillion of atmospheric pressure! Imagine if every atom were the size of a ping-pong ball, then this is like filling Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to the top of the stadium with ping-pong balls 270 times over, and removing all but 1! (approximating the stadium as 180 m long x 130 m wide x 53 m deep)
  
• October 2017: Improved 2D MOT of potassium-39!
  
• July 2017: First 2D MOT of potassium-39! It needs to be optimized but it's great to have laser-cooled atoms! Next: a 2D MOT of potassium-41.
    
• July 2017: The glass octagonal science cell is installed and baking.
• April 2017: Catie's large square Helmholtz coils for controlling the experiment magnetic field are tested and working as predicted!
  
• March 2017: Research student Caitlyn Ward receives '17-'18 Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship! Congratulations Catie!
• August 2016: Rebuilt vacuum system achieved ultra-high vacuum.
• June 2016: Achieved 2G magnetic field in a resonant coil at 120 MHz!
• April 2016: Research student Alex Tarter receive a Barry Goldwater Scholarship! Congratulations Alex!
• March 2016: Research student Caitlyn Ward receives '16-'17 Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship! Congratulations Catie!
• August 2015: Alex finishes his improved and redisgned potassium oven.
• June 2015: Improved doppler-free absorption spectrum.
• May 2015: M.S. student Nathan Holman successfully defends his thesis: "Progress Towards A Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensate Machine". Nathan is going on to the Ph.D. program at UW Madison to study solid state quantum computing.
• March 2015: The tapered-amplifier is operational - achieving 1.6 W of light at 767 nm!
• February 2015: Dr. Wrubel receives a Cottrell College Science Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement! The title of the grant is: "Precision Measurement of a Microwave Fano-Feshbach Resonance in Ultracold ⁴¹K Atoms"
• January 2015: The ECDL is locked to the ³⁹K cross-over transition using a Doppler-free saturated absortpion technique.
  
• January 2014: The external cavity diode laser has its first light!  Nathan Holman (M.S. candidate) is getting it tuned to the correct wavelength.

Current group members

• Gustavo Hernandez (class of 2020) - 3D MOT coils
• W. Andy Peterson (M.S. candidate - 2017) - MOT/optical molasses hybrid simulations
• Joseph Preimesberger (class of 2018) - resonant RF field
• Caitlyn Ward (class of 2018) - active magnetic field stabilization

Past group members

• Alex Tarter (class of 2017) - K41 source, resonant RF field
• Sruti Prathivadhi-Bhayankaram (class of 2017) - michelson interferometer
• Shouvik Bhattacharya (M.S. candidate - 2016) - external field cancellation system
• Nathan Holman (M.S. candidate - 2015) - saturated absorption locking system
• Lucas Slattery (class of 2015) - source module
• Ben Schmachtenberger (class of 2015) - laser cavity construction
• Colin Bertsch (class of 2016) - vacuum equipment testing
• Steffen Lake (class of 2016) - laser cavity construction