Speaker
Description
We present the current status of our experimental setup for imaging ${}^6$Li atoms in near-resonant optical tweezers.
The tweezers are generated using light at a wavelength of $674.6 \text{ nm}$, close to the ${}^6$Li $D$-line resonance at $671 \text{ nm}$. This configuration provides a promising platform for combination with an optical lattice operating at $841 \text{ nm}$. The chosen lattice wavelength corresponds to the tune-out wavelength of ${}^{166}$Er, which is used for sympathetic cooling of ${}^6$Li. Our aim is to achieve a tweezer distance equal to twice the lattice spacing.
The two-dimensional optical tweezer array is generated using a spatial light modulator (SLM), with the phase pattern being defined via the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm and employing both numerical and camera-based feedback to optimise the phase. We provide insight into the optical setup around the SLM and the tweezer generation process.
The small required spacing between the tweezers introduces technical challenges to the tweezer generation process. We discuss these challenges and present their respective solutions.
As the employed light is tuned close to the $D$-line of ${}^6$Li, the atoms are expected to experience stronger optical excitations than in far-off-resonant optical tweezers. We therefore present an overview of the planned implementation of $\Lambda$-enhanced gray molasses cooling, which is used for continuous cooling of the ${}^6$Li atoms during trapping and imaging.