An atom faucet

We present a simple and efficient source of slow atoms. From a background vapour loaded magneto-optical trap (MOT), a thin laser beam extracts a continuous jet of cold rubidium atoms. The jet that is typical to leaking MOT systems is created without any optical parts placed inside the vacuum chamber. We also present a simple three dimensional numerical simulation of the atomic motion in the presence of these multiple saturating laser fields combined with the inhomogeneous magnetic field of the MOT. At a pressure Of P-Rb87 = 10(-8) mbar and with a moderate laser power of 10 mW per beam, we generate a flux Phi = 1.3 x 10(8) atoms/s with a mean velocity of 14 m/s and a divergence of 10 mrad.