ABSTRACT: This undergraduate honors thesis is the culmination of two semesters of research in the atomic, molecular, and optical physics lab of Dr. John E Thomas. Its primary goal was to resolve a one dimensional lattice of optically trapped, degenerate 6 Li atoms spaced 5.3 microns apart. In order to do this, a new optical system was constructed and repeatedly tested until its limit of resolution was acceptably below 5.3 microns. This optical system, with a minimum limit of resolution of 2.9 microns, was then installed into the pre-existing atom trapping and cooling experimental setup. After analysis of the images taken of the one dimensional lattice, we were unable to resolve the individual potential wells. This is most likely due to the large amount of astigmatic aberration caused by the atomic cloud’s off-axis position relative to the central axis of the probing laser beam. However, this thesis lays the groundwork for future success and should serve as a reference for any future attempts at resolving this one dimensional lattice.
Here is the thesis in PDF: Weisberg Thesis