arXiv:1007.1884 · Physical Review Letters

Feedback Cooling of a Single Neutral Atom

Markus Koch, Christian Sames, Alexander Kubanek, Matthias Apel, Maximilian Balbach, Alexei Ourjoumtsev, Pepijn W. H. Pinkse, Gerhard Rempe

Published Oct 21, 2010• 68 citations

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Abstract

We demonstrate feedback cooling of the motion of a single rubidium atom trapped in a high-finesse optical resonator to a temperature of about 160 μK. Time-dependent transmission and intensity-correlation measurements prove the reduction of the atomic position uncertainty. The feedback increases the 1/e storage time into the 1 s regime, 30 times longer than without feedback. Feedback cooling therefore rivals state-of-the-art laser cooling, but with the advantages that it requires less optical access and exhibits less optical pumping.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.105.173003

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