Modified Control Software for Imaging Ultracold Atomic Clouds

Authors

Dwight L. Whitaker, Pomona CollegeFollow
A. Sharma
J. M. Brown

Document Type

Article

Department

Physics (Pomona)

Publication Date

12-6-2006

Keywords

Charge coupled devices, Ultracold neutrons, Rubidium

Abstract

A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera capable of taking high-quality images of ultracold atomic samples can often represent a significant portion of the equipment costs in atom trapping experiment. We have modified the commercial control software of a CCD camera designed for astronomical imaging to take absorption images of ultracold rubidium clouds. This camera is sensitive at 780 nm and has been modified to take three successive 16-bit images at full resolution. The control software can be integrated into a Matlab graphical user interface with fitting routines written as Matlab functions. This camera is capable of recording high-quality images at a fraction of the cost of similar cameras typically used in atom trapping experiments.

Comments

Publisher pdf posted with permission. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. Previously linked to as: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/u?/irw,507

Rights Information

© 2006 American Institute of Physics

Terms of Use & License Information

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DOI

10.1063/1.2400012

Recommended Citation

"Modified control software for imaging ultracold atomic clouds", D. L. Whitaker, A. Sharma, and J. M. Brown, Rev. Sci. Instr., 77, 126101 (2006). DOI: 10.1063/1.2400012.