A Simplified Cold Atom Source for 3-D MOT Loading

A simplified two-dimensional (2-D) magneto-optical trap (MOT) for loading atoms into a 3-D MOT is realized. Instead of utilizing multiple wave plates and beam splitters to cover a large cooling region, we deploy cooling beams with elliptical cross-section profiles to achieve a comparable cooling volume. This simplification reduces the cost and difficulty of alignment. The 3-D MOT achieves a loading rate of 2×10⁸ atoms per second via this simplified 2-D MOT. Correlation between the loading rate and parameters of optical system is also determined.