Bitter-type electromagnets for Zeeman slowing a beam of lithium atoms

As the first stage of laser cooling in many ultracold-atom experiments, Zeeman slowing requires a magnetic field strength that varies with position. Traditional Zeeman slower designs generate this field distribution with wrapped coils of wire, varying the number of turns and the current in different segments of the slower. We report on a Bitter-type design of an electromanget for a Zeeman slower, using stacked layers of high-conductivity copper instead of wires. We measure a field profile in excellent agreement with numerical simulations of the coil, and which matches the ideal field distribution closely. We characterize the electrical and thermal properties of the coil, and compare its construction and performance to traditional designs. We also discuss modifications to the design that permit the electromagnet to be constructed independent from a vacuum chamber, so it can be installed after a bake or removed, modified, and reinstalled on the apparatus.