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Journal de Physique II

A strong magneto-optical force exerted on neutral atoms

Rudolf Grimm, Vladilen S Letokhov, Yu. B. Ovchinnikov, A. I. Sidorov

Published Apr 1, 1992• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report the theoretical prediction and the observation of a stimulated novel magneto-optical radiation force, acting on atoms located in a static magnetic field and irradiated by the resonant field of two counterpropagating monochromatic laser beams with different directions of polarization.
DOI
10.1051/jp2:1992154

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The simulated magneto-optical force, which in the presence of a longitudinal static magnetic field is exerted on atoms resonant with the high-intensity light field of two counterpropagating, linearly polarized laser beams with an angle of \ensuremath{\sim}45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} between their directions of polarization, is described in the dressed-atom picture. This allows an easy calculation of the force on atoms at rest, illustratively explains its nonzero wavelength average, and provides an intuitive understanding of its dependence on the atomic velocity. For a simple atomic model transition (J=0\ensuremath{\leftrightarrows}J'=1) the velocity-dependent force is calculated by considering the motion along the dressed states and using the Landau-Zener model for the nonadiabatic transitions at the avoided level crossings. It is shown that for a certain relation between Larmor and optical Rabi frequency a perfectly diabatic motion takes place, leading to a disappearance of the velocity-tuned (doppleron) resonance structure.
We report on the observation of a new laser trap for neutral atoms. It uses three orthogonal pairs of counterpropagating laser beams having linear polarizations at 45° and a quadrupole magnetic field. 10 8 cesium atoms were thus confined in a 0.15 mm 3 volume at a temperature of 60 μK, a factor of 2 below the Doppler cooling limit. We interpret this trapping as being due to the new magneto-optical force recently observed by Grimm et al. and which is essentially a dipole force rectified by the magnetic field. This trap opens new possibilities for increasing the phase-space density of laser-cooled atoms.
We have recently begun to explore the very strong optical forces that can be exerted on atoms by polychromatic light. Unlike the radiative force that is limited to be less than ℏkγ/2 in monochromatic light or the dipole force that alternates on a wavelength scale in a monochromatic standing wave, limiting its utility, these new forces have very attractive features. Not only is their strength far greater than Frad, but also their velocity range is far greater than γ/k, so that beam slowing can be accomplished without Doppler compensation in distances measured in millimeters instead of meters. These forces have been implemented by modulation of a single-frequency laser or by combination of the light of two different single-frequency lasers.
In a one-dimensional model we consider the dependence of the magneto-optical force on the elliptical polarization of laser beams for different types of closed atomic transitions ${J}_{g}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{J}_{e}$. The linear dependencies on atomic velocity and magnetic field of the magneto-optical force are found analytically. These results establish the possibility (for Jg>0{J}_{g}>0Jg​>0) to capture atoms in a magneto-optical trap even at zero detuning (i.e., at the exact resonance of atoms with laser field) in certain $(ϵ\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{-}\overline{ϵ})$ field configurations as well as in an anomalous blue-detuned region. The nonlinear dependencies of the force on atomic velocity and magnetic field are studied numerically. The capture velocity and the number of trapped atoms are estimated.
In this letter we present a theoretical study of the coherent diffraction of three-level atoms from a light field with a polarization gradient (counterpropagating crossed linearly polarized beams) and a static magnetic field applied parallel to the laser propagation direction. We show that for a particular ratio of the laser field intensity and the magnetic-field strength, there occurs a resonance between the Larmor precession of the magnetic alignment and the Rabi oscillations. On resonance the atomic wave function is diffracted by an approximately triangular optical potential which leads to a very efficient coherent splitting of the atomic beam. The proposed configuration is particularly interesting in relation to atom interferometry, when efficient coherent beam splitters for atoms are required.