Spinor atom laser


Public Outreach and popularization of Physics


Talks for the general public



50th anniversary of the invention of the laser

For the 50th anniversary of the laser, our institute, led by Béatrice Chatel, organized a public exhibition "Toulouse laser" with several experiments about the physics and the applications of lasers. In our team, Thierry Lahaye has built a "laser fountain" demonstrating the principle of guiding of light along optical fibers.

Here's the corresponding poster (in French, pdf, 1Mb), and here are some photos:

The laser fountain built at LCAR;;;;;;;;The three jets guideing laser beams;;;;;;;;A jet with a green laser beam



Realization of a demonstration Paul trap

For demonstration purposes, Thierry Lahaye has built a small Paul trap operating at 50 Hz, 1500 Vac and trapping small anthracene particles. Our setup is similar to the one described in H. Winter and H.W. Ortjohann, Am. J. Phys. 59, 807 (1991). Here are some pictures:

Paul Trap with trapped anthracene particles;;;;;;;;Paul trap illuminated stroboscopically with a UV LED
Five anthracene particles in the Paul trap. Because of the micromotion, which takes place along the vertical due to the gravitational sag, the particles appear as small "filaments".           Two trapped particles, but with stroboscopic illumination using a violet LED. The particles do not appear as filaments, but are "point-like" (except for the blurring due my poor talent as a photographer).