A CONTINUOUS BEAM OF COLD CESIUM ATOMS EXTRACTED FROM A 2-DIMENSIONALMAGNETOOPTICAL TRAP

A novel scheme has been developed, that produces a continuous beam of cold cesium atoms extracted from a two-dimensional Magneto-Optical Tra p (2D-MOT) in a standard vapour cell, The continuous beam was generate d by launching the atoms with 1D moving optical molasses or with a sta tic magnetic field. In the first case, mean drift velocities between 1 .9 to 5 m/s and up to 10(6) atoms/s at a temperature of (1 +/- 0.5) mK could be obtained. Launching with a static magnetic field was similar ly efficient but exhibited a double-peaked structure in the velocity d istribution of the launched atoms. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.