Light Sheet Generation for a Multi-Region Optical Trap for Ultracold Atomic Gases

Abstract By cooling down lithium-6 atoms to nano-Kelvin temperatures and tuning the magnetic field to Feshbach resonance, we can effectively create a strongly correlated quantum degenerate Fermi gas system that is then trapped in our multi-region optical trap. As the atoms are loaded into the trap, we separate the spin states and shine light sheets to divide the different regions so we can study the thermodynamic and spin transport evolution once the light sheet is removed. We showcase the design of the optical set up that images four light sheets onto the atoms to create three regions within the trap. We also describe the functionality of the digital micromirror device (DMD) that is used to shape the intensity profile of the light sheets created. Additionally, we present a method for improving the efficiency of the DMD by preshaping the light. Finally, we introduce our work on half-toning the light sheets in an effort to create a uniform intensity distribution of the light sheets by turning certain mirrors off on the DMD in an algorithmic fashion.