Generation of an intense cold-atom beam from a pyramidal magneto-optical trap: experiment and simulation

An intense cold-atom beam source based on a modified pyramidal magneto-optical trap has been developed and characterized. We have produced a slow beam of cold cesium atoms with a continuous flux of 2.2× 109 atoms/s at a mean velocity of 15 m/s and with a divergence of 15 mrad. The corresponding radiant intensity is 1.2×1013 atom s-1 sr-1. We have characterized the performance of our beam source over a range of operating conditions, and the measured values for atom flux, mean velocity, and divergence are in good agreement with results from detailed Monte Carlo numerical simulations.