Progress towards a degenerate gas of strontium

We report on progress towards creating degenerate gases of strontium for use in optical lattice experiments. We have recently created and characterized a MOT capable of trapping either $^{87}$Sr or $^{88}$Sr on the broad, 461 nm cycling transition. Our diagnostics focus on using the MOT as a source of cold $^{3}P_2$ atoms, which are continuously loaded into a magnetic trap. We also investigate sub-Doppler cooling of the fermionic isotope and the possibility of loading these atoms directly into an optical dipole trap.