Enhanced loading of a magneto-optic trap from an atomic beam

Abstract

We demonstrate enhanced loading of a ${}_{}{}^7{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}$ magneto-optic trap by broadening the frequency spectrum of the laser trapping light with a resonant electro-optic modulator. We achieve an ∼20-fold improvement in the loading rate over that obtained without a broadened spectrum when directly capturing atoms from a divergent atomic beam.