Madkhaly, Somya
(2022)
Towards optimised portable quantum technologies via additive manufacturing.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
Cold atom experiments open wide prospects for applications in metrology, quantum computing, quantum information processing, and many other fields. They also present a promising avenue for experiments in fundamental physics, such as testing new states of matter like Bose-Einstein condensates, the precision probing of gravity and general relativity, and simulations of condensed matter. The first step of most cold atom-based experiments and applications is to form magneto-optical traps (MOT). Typically, these experiments are bulky, complicated, high-cost, and usually occupy room-size benches of optical elements. Nevertheless, because these experiments serve as the foundation for future generations of quantum technologies, there is growing interest in utilising them in real life applications.
We exploit the method of additive manufacturing to build a portable and compact cold atom system that outperforms conventional apparatus in terms of size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C), all of which are critical criteria for portable quantum technologies. By demonstrating the successful operation of the first AM UHV chamber, and AM optical frameworks for frequency stabilising and MOT beams’ power distribution, we prove how the AM approach, when combined with optimisation algorithms, enables radical mass reduction and offers superior stability and performance.
Our compact device described herein has a volume of less than 5% of the total volume of conventional cold atom systems. The device is 55×60×45 cm3 in size, and weighs ∼ 3.2 kg (excluding commercial components). Using the permanent magnetic field generated purely from an array of neodymium magnets, the apparatus is capable of creating magneto-optical traps of > 2×108 85Rb atoms in the AM UHV chamber. By characterising the response of the system to changes in environmental temperature between 10 and 30 ◦C and exposure to vibrations between DC to a few tens of kilohertz, the reliability of our system to operate in outdoor applications is proven.
To sum up, the miniaturisation of cold atom setups is critical for various experiments and applications, as existing conventional arrangements are large, complicated, and extremely sensitive to even minor environmental fluctuations. By leveraging the advantages of the AM approach, our system addresses these issues and complies with SWAP-C requirements. The results presented in this thesis will be of great interest to the community of quantum technology, UHV, and a broader range of atomic and optical physics researchers.
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