Cold-atom accumulation using an optical trap door
H. Davies, K. Szymaniec, Charles S. Adams
Experiments are performed on loading cold atoms into a far-off resonance optical dipole trap that is spatially separated from the laser-cooling region. The atoms are delivered using a far-off resonant optical dipole guide and enter the trap through a switchable blue-detuned light sheet or ``trap door.'' This scheme provides a means to transfer atoms from a dissipative to a non-dissipative trap without a significant loss of phase-space density. We study the dynamics of atoms within the trap and measure their lifetime. Preliminary results on multiple loading are presented. As the technique does not rely on near-resonant light, the atom number limit characteristic of laser-cooling experiments can, in principle, be exceeded.
Physical Review A•Jun 14, 2000•9 citations