Laser cooled and trapped Dy: MOT dynamics, collisions, and progress toward narrow-line cooling

We present details of the Dy laser cooling and trapping apparatus that has recently produced a magneto-optically (MOT) and magnetostatically (MT) trapped gas of dysprosium, a lanthanide (rare-earth) atom with an unsurpassed magnetic moment of 10 Bohr magnetons, in the 10--100 $\mu$K regime. We present details of the Dy MOT dynamics, MT inelastic collisional studies, and progress toward narrow-line cooling to the 1 $\mu$K regime. The laser cooling and trapping of highly magnetic atoms with complex level structure opens a new frontier for ultracold dipolar physics, atom chip microscopy, and quantum information processing.