Experiments on trapping ytterbium atoms in optical lattices

Experiments on trapping ytterbium atoms in various optical lattices are presented. After the two-stage cooling, first in a blue magneto–optical trap and then in a green magneto–optical trap, the ultracold ¹⁷¹Yb atoms are successfully loaded into one-, two-, and three-dimensional optical lattices operating at the Stark-free wavelength, respectively. The temperature, number, and lifetime of cold ¹⁷¹Yb atoms in one-dimensional lattice are measured. After optimization, the one-dimensional lattice with cold ¹⁷¹Yb atoms is used for developing an ytterbium optical clock.