Annales de Physique

Laser-cooling and trapping neutral atoms

William D. Phillips

Published Jan 1, 1985• 2 citations

Abstract

The NBS-Gaithersburg experiments on laser deceleration and cooling of atomic beams are reviewed. The laser-cooling process is presented as an example of « lumino-refrigeration » by optical pumping originally proposed by Kastler. Prospects for using laser-cooled atoms in magnetostatic or radiative atom traps are discussed.

DOI: 10.1051/anphys:01985001006071700

Related papers

Laser cooling and electromagnetic trapping of neutral atoms

William D. Phillips, John V. Prodan, Harold J. Metcalf

Atoms in a thermal beam can be cooled, decelerated, and stopped using the radiation pressure from a nearly resonant laser beam. Several groups have already used this laser-cooling process on an atomic sodium beam. The techniques and results of the various experimental groups are reviewed, and applications of laser-cooled atoms, in particular the possibility of confining them in electromagnetic traps, are discussed.

Journal of the Optical Society of America BNov 1, 1985175 citations

Cooling, Stopping, and Trapping Atoms

William D. Phillips, P. L. Gould, Paul D. Lett

Significant advances have been made in the ability to control the motion of neutral atoms. Cooling and trapping atoms present new possibilities for studies of ultracold atoms and atomic interactions. The techniques of laser cooling and deceleration of atomic beams, magnetic and laser trapping of neutral atoms, and a number of recent advances in the use of radiative forces to manipulate atoms are reviewed.

ScienceFeb 19, 198846 citations

Deceleration, cooling, and trapping of atoms

H. Metcalf

A variety of calculations have been performed connected with laser cooling of atoms, many of them relevant to the experiments at NBS on this subject. Some of these have been tested and found to agree well with these experiments. We have designed, built, and tested various devices for use in these experiments. We have also done various calculations relevant to magnetic traps for cooled atoms. These are particularly well-suited for laser cooled atoms.

Aug 12, 19840 citations

Laser Cooling and Trapping of Neutral Atoms

Yvan Castin, Jean Dalibard, Claude N. Cohen-Tannoudji

We present a simple review of the basic physical processes allowing one to control, with laser beams, the velocity and the position of neutral atoms. The control of the velocity corresponds to a cooling of atoms, that is, a reduction of the atomic velocity spread around a given value. The control of the position means a trapping of atoms in real space. The best present performances will be given, in terms of the lowest temperatures and the highest densities. The corresponding highest quantum degeneracy will also be estimated. It is imposed by fundamental limits, which will be described briefly. We also give the general trends in this field of research and outline the new directions which look promising for observing quantum statistical effects in laser cooled atomic samples, but which are for the moment restricted by unsolved problems. Introducing the Simple Schemes The radiative forces acting on atoms in a light field can be split into two parts, a reactive one and a dissipative one. The dissipative force (radiation pressure), which basically involves scattering processes, is velocity dependent. We will see that this dependence leads to the Doppler cooling scheme and to the concept of optical molasses, and we will give the corresponding minimal achievable temperature. The dissipative force can be made position dependent, through a gradient of the magnetic field, so that the atoms are also trapped in the so-called magneto-optical trap.

Cambridge University Press eBooksApr 6, 19956 citations

Laser cooling of atoms

Vladilen S Letokhov

Abstract One of the most remarkable achievements of laser control is the manipulation of atomic particles, their velocities, positions, etc., which is referred to as laser cooling and laser trapping . These two effects are interrelated and usually prove effective when used jointly. That this is so one can see by considering as an example the laser cooling of trapped ions and the laser trapping of laser-cooled neutral atoms (Fig. 5.1). The sequences of processes in these two situations are directly opposite. Ions can easily be trapped in an electromagnetic trap of large depth (Paul 1990) and then be cooled for a long time by laser radiation (sideband cooling) (Wineland and Dehmelt 1975; Dehmelt 1990). Neutral atoms are first slowed down and cooled by laser radiation down to millikelvin temperatures, and only then confined in an optical trap. Trapped atoms can further be cooled to microkelvin temperatures. The present chapter and Chapter 6 consider the cooling and trapping of neutral atoms, the present chapter concentrating on their cooling, and Chapter 6 on trapping. But it would be reasonable first to familiarize the reader with the history of the early ideas in this field that eventually led to the advent of a new domain of physics—the physics of ultracold atoms and molecules (Chapters 7 and 8).

Feb 15, 20071 citation

Optical pumping of stored atomic ions

David J. Wineland, Wayne M. Itano, Jonas Bergquist +2 more

Optical pumping experiments on atomic ions which are stored in electromagnetic « traps » are discussed. Weak relaxation and extremely small energy shifts of the stored ions lead to very high resolution and accuracy in optical pumping-double resonance experiments. In the same spirit of Kastler's proposal for « lumino refrigeration » (1950), the kinetic energy levels of stored ions can be optically pumped. This technique, which has been called laser cooling, significantly reduces Doppler frequency shifts in the spectra.

Annales de PhysiqueJan 1, 19859 citations