Active stabilization of kilogauss magnetic fields to the ppm level for magnetoassociation on ultranarrow Feshbach resonances

Abstract

Feshbach association of ultracold molecules using narrow resonances requires exquisite control of the applied magnetic field. Here we present a magnetic field control system to deliver magnetic fields of over 1000 G with ppm-level precision integrated into an ultracold-atom experimental setup. We combine a battery-powered current-stabilized power supply with active feedback stabilization of the magnetic field using fluxgate magnetic field sensors. As a real-world test we perform microwave spectroscopy of ultracold Rb atoms and demonstrate an upper limit on our magnetic field stability of 2.4(3) mG at 1050 G [2.3(3) ppm relative] as determined from the spectral feature.