We present results of a study of frequency stabilization of a diode laser (λ = 780 nm) using the Doppler-free dichroic lock (DFDL) technique and its use for laser cooling of atoms. Quantitative measurements of frequency stability were performed and the Allan variance was found to be 6.9 × 10¹¹ for an averaging time of 10 s. The frequency-stabilized diode laser was used to obtain the trapping beams for a magneto-optic trap (MOT) for Rb atoms. Using the DFDL technique, the laser frequency could be locked over a wide range and this enabled measurement of detuning dependence of the number and temperature of cold atoms using a relatively simple experimental set-up.

We have theoretically studied the collective modes of a quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) Bose condensate in the large gas parameter regime by using a formalism which treats the interaction energy beyond the mean-field approximation. The results show that incorporation of this higher order term leads to significant modifications in the mode frequencies.

We present here our experimental results on transfer of laser-cooled atom cloud to a quadrupole magnetic trap. We show that by choosing appropriately the ratio of potential energy in magnetic trap to kinetic energy of cloud in molasses, we can obtain the maximum phase-space density in the magnetic trap. These results guide us to choose the value of current to be switched in the quadrupole coils used for magnetic trapping for a given temperature of the cloud after molasses. This study is also useful to set the initial phase-space density of the cloud before evaporative cooling.