Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review Letters

Trapping Atoms in a Dark Optical Lattice

Andreas Hemmerich, Matthias Weidemüller, Tilman Esslinger, Christian Zimmermann, Theodor W. Hänsch

Published Jul 3, 1995• 89 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a new type of optical lattice which confines atoms in nearly dark states. The lattice is formed by cooperation of an optical standing wave detuned to the blue with respect to an atomic $F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1$ transition and a homogeneous magnetic field. The atoms are predominantly localized where the light is purely $\ensuremath{\pi}$ polarized such that they are optically pumped to the ${m}_{F}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0$ Zeeman component which is decoupled from the light field. We have observed quantized vibrations of the localized atoms by means of probe transmission spectroscopy. Our ``dark'' optical lattice works in two and three dimensions.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.75.37

Related papers

Proposal for a Magneto-Optical Lattice for Trapping Atoms in Nearly-Dark States

G. Grynberg, J.-Y. Courtois

We present a new type of lattice for trapping cold atoms in nearly-dark states where they weakly interact with light. The periodic potential is obtained with fields in a lin ⊥ lin configuration tuned on the blue side of a J → J transition and in the presence of a uniform static magnetic field. A numerical analysis performed for J = 4 demonstrates the occurrence of very small absorption widths and large populations in the lowest vibrational states. These lattices should be interesting for increasing the atomic density and for observing delocalized atomic wave functions.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Jul 1, 1994•90 citations

Purely optical dark lattice

Tilman Esslinger, Helmut Ritsch, Matthias Weidemüller +3 more

We study a new type of optical lattice in which the localized atoms experience a much reduced optical pumping and fluorescence rate. An optical standing wave is tuned to the blue of the F = 2 ? F = 2 transition of the (87)Rb D(2) line and induces periodic optical potentials by coupling the F = 2 ground state to both the F = 2 and F = 3 excited states. A Sisyphus mechanism efficiently cools the atoms into the lattice sites. We adiabatically release the atoms from the optical lattice and measure their momentum distribution with a resolution of one third of a single photon recoil. This allows us to determine the population of the two lowest energy bands in the optical lattice (44% and 20%).

Optics Letters•Jul 1, 1996•25 citations

Trapping of atoms in a dark magneto-optical lattice

Nelly Pavlovna Konopleva, Anatolii M Tumaikin

The dark magneto-optical lattice for atoms with J yields J -1 transition is considered. The periodic potential is formed using a (sigma) + - (sigma) - laser field and a uniform magnetic field orthogonal to the light waves propagation. The dynamics of slowly moving atoms is investigated for J equals 1 in the quasiclassical approximation. The cases of a weak and strong dark states destruction by the magnetic field are analyzed. The sub- Doppler cooling for a blue detuning from resonance is demonstrated for a low laser field power. The dark atomic lattice creation in the case of the light-induced shift is much less than the Zeeman splitting is predicted.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Feb 25, 1999•0 citations

Near-resonant dark optical lattice with increased occupation

Vladimir Elman, Andreas Hemmerich

A bichromatic near-resonant dark optical lattice (DOL) with rubidium atoms is demonstrated, which provides confinement in the Lamb-Dicke regime in all spatial dimensions. We apply spatially phase-matched optical potentials for each hyperfine ground state in order to enable improved Sisyphus cooling, undisturbed by optical hyperfine pumping processes. We also explore a method to increase the occupation of the DOL. Initially $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ rubidium atoms with a temperature of $70\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ and a density of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ are prepared in a magneto-optic trap (MOT) and a fraction of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms is loaded into a far detuned one-dimensional optical lattice (FOL). Subsequently, the MOT is replaced by the DOL, and the atoms become well localized within the microscopic light-shift potentials at a temperature of $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ with a typical density of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. We then apply alternating cycles of free evolution in the FOL and cooling and trapping in the DOL, obtaining a fourfold density increase to $1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$---i.e., 7.5% occupation---while maintaining a temperature of $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$. In a final adiabatic cooling step we reduce the well depth to 75 times the single-photon recoil energy, which leads to a temperature of $2.8\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ and a phase-space density of $1.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Despite the increased density, no excess heating or collisional losses are observed.

Physical Review A•Oct 31, 2005•5 citations

Dark lattice for atoms with a J → J - 1 transition

Nelly Pavlovna Konopleva, Anatolii M Tumaikin

The dark magneto-optical lattice for atoms with a J yields J - 1 transition is considered. The periodic potential is formed using a (sigma) + - (sigma) - laser field and a uniform magnetic field orthogonal to the light waves propagation. The dynamics of slowly moving atoms was investigated for J equals 1 in the quasiclassical approximation. The sub-Doppler cooling for a blue detuning from resonance is demonstrated. The dark atomic lattice creation in the case of the light induced shift is much less than the Zeeman splitting is predicted.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Oct 21, 1998•0 citations

Novel dipole-force atom traps

Inka B. Manek-Hönninger, U. Moslener, Yu. B. Ovchinnikov +5 more

We discuss our recent experimental demonstrations of three novel atom traps which are all based on the optical dipole force in far-detuned laser light. In the gravito-optical surface trap (GOST), Cs atoms are trapped and cooled by means of an evanescent-wave mirror very closely above a dielectric surface. This trap allows for optical cooling at very high densities and provides good starting conditions for evaporative cooling to quantum degeneracy and the realization of a 2D quantum gas. The conical atom trap (CAT) uses a hollow blue-detuned laser beam in combination with gravity to trap atoms in a dark spatial region. This trap is experimentally simple and provides high loading efficiency, tight confinement, efficient sub-Doppler cooling, and strong suppression of collisional losses. The standing-wave red-detuned (STAR) trap allows one to confine atoms in a shallow optical potential at a very low photon scattering rate, and is thus an interesting tool for studies of the atomic ground-state dynamics in external electro-magnetic fields. We have studied atomic spin polarization in this trap.

International Conference on Atomic Physics (ICAP)•Jan 1, 1999•0 citations
We demonstrate a new type of optical lattice which confines atoms in nearly dark states. The lattice is formed by cooperation of an optical standing wave detuned to the blue with respect to an atomic F=1\ensuremath→F=1F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1F=1\ensuremath→F=1 transition and a homogeneous magnetic field. The atoms are predominantly localized where the light is purely \ensuremathπ\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremathπ polarized such that they are optically pumped to the mF=0{m}_{F}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0mF​=0 Zeeman component which is decoupled from the light field. We have observed quantized vibrations of the localized atoms by means of probe transmission spectroscopy. Our ``dark'' optical lattice works in two and three dimensions.
We present a new type of lattice for trapping cold atoms in nearly-dark states where they weakly interact with light. The periodic potential is obtained with fields in a lin ⊥ lin configuration tuned on the blue side of a J → J transition and in the presence of a uniform static magnetic field. A numerical analysis performed for J = 4 demonstrates the occurrence of very small absorption widths and large populations in the lowest vibrational states. These lattices should be interesting for increasing the atomic density and for observing delocalized atomic wave functions.
We study a new type of optical lattice in which the localized atoms experience a much reduced optical pumping and fluorescence rate. An optical standing wave is tuned to the blue of the F = 2 ? F = 2 transition of the (87)Rb D(2) line and induces periodic optical potentials by coupling the F = 2 ground state to both the F = 2 and F = 3 excited states. A Sisyphus mechanism efficiently cools the atoms into the lattice sites. We adiabatically release the atoms from the optical lattice and measure their momentum distribution with a resolution of one third of a single photon recoil. This allows us to determine the population of the two lowest energy bands in the optical lattice (44% and 20%).
The dark magneto-optical lattice for atoms with J yields J -1 transition is considered. The periodic potential is formed using a (sigma) + - (sigma) - laser field and a uniform magnetic field orthogonal to the light waves propagation. The dynamics of slowly moving atoms is investigated for J equals 1 in the quasiclassical approximation. The cases of a weak and strong dark states destruction by the magnetic field are analyzed. The sub- Doppler cooling for a blue detuning from resonance is demonstrated for a low laser field power. The dark atomic lattice creation in the case of the light-induced shift is much less than the Zeeman splitting is predicted.
A bichromatic near-resonant dark optical lattice (DOL) with rubidium atoms is demonstrated, which provides confinement in the Lamb-Dicke regime in all spatial dimensions. We apply spatially phase-matched optical potentials for each hyperfine ground state in order to enable improved Sisyphus cooling, undisturbed by optical hyperfine pumping processes. We also explore a method to increase the occupation of the DOL. Initially $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ rubidium atoms with a temperature of $70\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ and a density of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ are prepared in a magneto-optic trap (MOT) and a fraction of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ atoms is loaded into a far detuned one-dimensional optical lattice (FOL). Subsequently, the MOT is replaced by the DOL, and the atoms become well localized within the microscopic light-shift potentials at a temperature of $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ with a typical density of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. We then apply alternating cycles of free evolution in the FOL and cooling and trapping in the DOL, obtaining a fourfold density increase to $1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{atoms}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$---i.e., 7.5% occupation---while maintaining a temperature of $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$. In a final adiabatic cooling step we reduce the well depth to 75 times the single-photon recoil energy, which leads to a temperature of $2.8\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ and a phase-space density of $1.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Despite the increased density, no excess heating or collisional losses are observed.
The dark magneto-optical lattice for atoms with a J yields J - 1 transition is considered. The periodic potential is formed using a (sigma) + - (sigma) - laser field and a uniform magnetic field orthogonal to the light waves propagation. The dynamics of slowly moving atoms was investigated for J equals 1 in the quasiclassical approximation. The sub-Doppler cooling for a blue detuning from resonance is demonstrated. The dark atomic lattice creation in the case of the light induced shift is much less than the Zeeman splitting is predicted.
We discuss our recent experimental demonstrations of three novel atom traps which are all based on the optical dipole force in far-detuned laser light. In the gravito-optical surface trap (GOST), Cs atoms are trapped and cooled by means of an evanescent-wave mirror very closely above a dielectric surface. This trap allows for optical cooling at very high densities and provides good starting conditions for evaporative cooling to quantum degeneracy and the realization of a 2D quantum gas. The conical atom trap (CAT) uses a hollow blue-detuned laser beam in combination with gravity to trap atoms in a dark spatial region. This trap is experimentally simple and provides high loading efficiency, tight confinement, efficient sub-Doppler cooling, and strong suppression of collisional losses. The standing-wave red-detuned (STAR) trap allows one to confine atoms in a shallow optical potential at a very low photon scattering rate, and is thus an interesting tool for studies of the atomic ground-state dynamics in external electro-magnetic fields. We have studied atomic spin polarization in this trap.