Magneto-optical trapping of silver atoms

The realization of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for silver atoms is reported. Trapping light at 328 nm was used and the trap was loaded directly from a thermal beam to store over 10⁶ atoms with storage times of up to 16 s. Evidence of branching from the ²P3/2 excited state to the metastable ²D5/2 level was found and its decay rate determined. The temperature of the atoms is estimated to be 300(90) μK by measuring the mechanical properties of the MOT through observation of trap center oscillations.