Buffer-Gas Loading and Magnetic Trapping of Atomic Europium

Abstract

Atomic europium has been magnetically trapped using buffer-gas loading. Laser ablated $\mathrm{Eu}(^{8}S_{7/2})$ atoms are thermalized to 800 mK in a ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ buffer gas (to 250 mK in a ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ buffer gas). Anti-Helmholtz superconducting coils produce a quadrupole magnetic field to trap the ${M}_{J}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}7/2$ state of Eu. Detection is via absorption spectroscopy at 462.7 nm. Up to $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\mathrm{Eu}$ atoms are loaded at a central density of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Atoms can be held for longer than 100 s.