Electromagnetic Trapping of Cold Atoms: An Overview

Bruno Desruelle, Vincent Boyer, Philippe Bouyer +5 more

Carsten Henkel

A tutorial overview is given on interactions between atoms and surfaces that are mediated by the electromagnetic field. The emphasis is on dispersion (or van der Waals) forces and transitions induced by thermal fluctuations in the near field of a surface. Applications with cold atoms held in microscopic traps near surfaces ("atom chips") provide the experimental background for this theory lecture. We do not cover the chemical physics aspects that are relevant at distances comparable to the atomic scale, like adsorption and diffusion on surfaces, growth of nanostructures, or atomic beam diffraction from crystalline surfaces. These are covered by other lecturers.

Harold J. Metcalf

V. I. Balykin, Vladimir G. Minogin, Vladilen S Letokhov

This review describes the methods of trapping cold atoms in electromagnetic fields and in the combined electromagnetic and gravity fields. We discuss first the basic types of the dipole radiation forces used for cooling and trapping atoms in the laser fields. We outline next the fundamentals of the laser cooling of atoms and classify the temperature limits for basic laser cooling processes. The main body of the review is devoted to discussion of atom traps based on the dipole radiation forces, dipole magnetic forces, combined dipole radiation-magnetic forces, and the forces combined of the dipole radiation-magnetic and gravity forces. Physical fundamentals of atom traps operating as waveguides and cavities for cold atoms are also considered. The review ends with the applications of cold and trapped atoms in atomic, molecular and optical physics.

Tomasz Brzozowski, Maria Brzozowska, Jerzy Zachorowski +1 more

Alain Aspect, Robin Kaiser, Nathalie Vansteenkiste +1 more

We present an overview of the field of laser manipulation of atoms. Examples and trends are given for: laser cooling and trapping; subrecoil cooling; probes of cold atoms; collective effects in cold atoms samples; atom optics and interferometry.