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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

Cooling atoms in a bistable optical resonator

Mark Y. Vilensky, Yehiam Prior, Ilya Sh. Averbukh

Published May 1, 2007• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a generic approach for nonresonant laser cooling of atoms/molecules based on their interaction with a bistable optical cavity. The cooling mechanism is of Sisyphus type, and it does not require high-finesse cavities.
DOI
10.1109/qels.2007.4431607

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We propose a novel generic approach to laser cooling based on the nonresonant interactions of atoms and molecules with optical standing waves experiencing sudden phase jumps. The technique, termed "optical shaking," combines the elements of stochastic cooling and Sisyphus cooling. An optical signal that measures the instantaneous force applied by the standing wave on the ensemble of particles is used as feedback to determine the phase jumps. This guarantees a drift towards lower energies and higher phase-space density without the loss of particles typical of evaporative cooling.
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