Detachable Zeeman Slower Electromagnet for Laser Cooling Experiments

Zeeman Slower (ZS) electromagnets, common in laser cooling experiments, are typically made from many turns of conducting wire and often require water cooling. One alternative design, a Bitter-type magnet, made of stacks of conducting layers, can have much smaller inductance and power dissipation. In both cases, the electromagnet is usually a permanent fixture on an experimental apparatus, captured by the vacuum chamber. Modifying, repairing, or replacing ZS magnets thus involves the risk of breaking vacuum.

We report a design for a detachable Bitter-type Zeeman Slower electromagnet, allowing for modifications or replacement without changes to the vacuum system. We measured the magnetic field profile, as well as the electrical and thermal properties of this new coil design. We discuss the technical tradeoffs of this new design, how to adapt the coil for different atomic species, as well as prospects for reducing the overall footprint of laser-cooling experiments.