A new setup for experiments with ultracold dysprosium atoms

In the domain of quantum degenerate atomic gases, much interest has been raised recently by the use of lanthanide atoms with large magnetic moments, in particular dysprosium and erbium. These species have been successfully brought to quantum degeneracy and are now excellent candidates for quantum simulations of physical phenomena due to long-range interactions. In this short article, we report on the progresses in the construction of a new experiment on Bose-Einstein condensation of dysprosium atoms. After completing the vacuum and the laser setups, a magneto-optical trap on the narrow 626 nm Dy-162 transition has been realized and characterized. The prospects for future experiments are briefly discussed.