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

Laser Physics

Deep dark all-optical atom trap created by the combination of the cosine-Gauss light beams

I. V. Krasnov

Published Aug 26, 2016• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract We theoretically consider a novel type of the optical dark trap (ODT) for resonant atoms and ions. This trap is based on the rectified gradient forces acting on particles in the field of a combination of multiple bichromatic cosine-Gauss optical beams (CGBs). Such a bichromatic ODT can have a depth significantly exceeding the depth of the typical dark optical traps and is comparable with the depth of magneto-optical traps ( ∼ 1 K).

DOI
10.1088/1054-660x/26/10/105501

Related papers

Kinetic model of the bichromatic dark trap for atoms

I. V. Krasnov

Abstract A kinetic model of atom confinement in a bichromatic dark trap (BDT) is developed with the goal of describing its dissipative properties. The operating principle of the deep BDT is based on using the combination of multiple bichromatic cosine–Gaussian optical beams (CGBs) for creating high-potential barriers, which is described in our previous work (Krasnov 2016 Laser Phys . 26 105501). In the indicated work, particle motion in the BDT is described in terms of classical trajectories. In the present study, particle motion is analyzed by means of the Wigner function (phase-space distribution function (DF)), which allows one to properly take into account the quantum fluctuations of optical forces. Besides, we consider an improved scheme of the BDT, where CGBs create, apart from plane potential barriers, a narrow cooling layer. We find an asymptotic solution of the Fokker–Planck equation for the DF and show that the DF of particles deeply trapped in a BDT with a cooling layer is the Tsallis distribution with the effective temperature, which can be considerably lower than in a BDT without a cooling layer. Moreover, it can be adjusted by slightly changing the CGBs’ radii. We also study the effect of particle escape from the trap due to the scattering of resonant photons and show that the particle lifetime in a BDT can exceed several tens of hours when it is limited by photon scattering.

Laser Physics•Jul 27, 2017•1 citation

A hybrid mechanism of 3D optical trapping of particles immersed in a cold buffer gas

I. V. Krasnov

Abstract A novel mechanism of the formation of a deep optical superlattice (OSL) for three-dimensional (3D) trapping of resonant impurity atoms immersed in a transparent cold buffer gas is proposed and investigated theoretically. This mechanism is associated with the joint action of two factors of different physical nature: rectification effect of the gradient force of light pressure and effect of the light induced drift (LID) of atoms (a consequence of the difference in gas-kinetic cross sections of excited and unexcited atoms). Such a situation can be realised when a gas mixture is irradiated by a bichromatic combined light beam which is a special coaxial superposition of cosine-Gaussian optical beams. Here, the RcGF creates a periodic 1D array of deep potential wells (OSL) along the beam axes, and an effective force, causing LID, pulls resonant particles into the combined light beam and provides their transverse (with respect to the beam axes) confinement in OSL. As a result, there can occur a giant accumulation of impurity particles in the OSL cells, accompanied by a strong spatial particle localization far away from the walls of the reservoir, in which the gas mixture is located.

Laser Physics•Aug 1, 2023•3 citations

Optimized single-beam dark optical trap

Ariel Kaplan, Nir Friedman, Nir Davidson

We propose a new scheme for constructing a single-beam dark optical trap that minimizes light-induced perturbations of the trapped atoms. The proposed scheme optimizes the trap depth for given trapping laser power and detuning by creating a light envelope with (a) an almost minimal surface area for a given volume and (b) the minimal wall thickness that is allowed by diffraction. The stiffness of the trap’s walls, combined with the large detuning allowed by the efficient distribution of light intensity, yields a low spontaneous photon scattering rate for the trapped atoms. Our trap also optimizes the loading efficiency by maximizing the geometrical overlap between a magneto-optical trap and the dipole trap. We demonstrate this new scheme by generating the proposed light distribution of a single-beam dark trap with a trap depth that is ∼33 times larger than that of existing blue-detuned traps and ∼13 times larger than that of a red-detuned trap with the same diameter, detuning, and laser power. Trapped atoms are predicted to have a decoherence rate that is >200 times smaller than in existing single-beam dark traps and ∼1800 times smaller than in a red-detuned trap with the same diameter, depth, and laser power.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jun 1, 2002•45 citations

Three-dimensional Talbot optical superlattice produced by bichromatic cosine-Gaussian light beams

I. V. Krasnov

Abstract In this paper, we show the use of the combination of co-propagating cosine-Gaussian laser beams to generate a deep three-dimensional (3D) optical superlattice for resonant particles (atoms, ions and similar ones). The method is based on the Talbot effect, non-diffracting properties of the cosine-Gaussian light beams and 3D rectification of a gradient force in a strong bichromatic field.

Laser Physics Letters•Aug 9, 2021•2 citations

An optimized single-beam dark optical trap

Ariel Kaplan, N. Friedman, Nir Davidson

Summary form only given. Blue-detuned optical traps confine neutral atoms mostly in the dark, therefore reducing the perturbations induced by the trapping light on the atoms. Recently, traps based on a single laser beam were demonstrated, providing greater experimental simplicity and enabling dynamical changes of the trap geometry and strength. However, all these traps have a large difference in the potential strength in the radial and axial directions, resulting in a very inefficient use of the available laser power, and a poor loading efficiency from the magneto-optical trap. In this work we present a novel optical scheme to generate an optimal trap, which maximizes the trap depth, and greatly reduces the light-induced perturbations to the atoms. This is achieved by surrounding a dark volume with a light envelope having (a) an almost minimal surface area for a given volume, (b) the minimal wall thickness allowed by diffraction, and (c) an almost constant wall height on every point on the envelope. The stiffness of the walls, combined with the large detuning allowed by the efficient distribution of light intensity, yield a very low photon scattering rate for the trapped atoms.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jun 25, 2003•1 citation

Bichromatic dark trap immersed in a buffer gas with an admixture of resonant atoms

I. V. Krasnov

Abstract The quasiclassical kinetic theory of optical forces has been applied to describe the kinetics of accumulation, deep trapping and cooling of particles in a bichromatic dark trap (BDT), which is placed into a reservoir with a thermal gas at room temperature containing an admixture of resonant atoms. BDT (proposed in our previous works, Krasnov 2016 Laser Phys. 26 105 501, 2017 27 085 501) is a multiple-optical-beam dark trap, in which rectified gradient forces in a bichromatic light field are used to manipulate the particles. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the possibility of direct BDT loading from the equilibrium gas mixture which will result in trapping and cooling of a sufficiently great amount of atoms by BDT. We derived a reduced Fokker-Planck equation in the energy space (for the Wigner particle distribution function) including the collision term. This equation takes into account the optical trapping force, its quantum fluctuations, particle loss from the trap and weakly-dissipative nature of BDT. Its asymptotic solution allows one to describe the particle kinetics and obtain explicit formulas for the main characteristics of BDT (particle capture rate into BDT, temperature and number of the trapped particles). Ultimately, we demonstrate the high efficiency of the particle accumulation in BDT. In particular, the concentration of the trapped particles (with the temperature at least by four orders of magnitude lower than the room temperature) has been shown to be able to exceed the concentration of the ‘hot’ untrapped particles by several dozens of times, and it has been demonstrated that the accumulation efficiency can reach the values of the order of 10 3 .

Laser Physics•Jul 14, 2020•1 citation
Abstract We theoretically consider a novel type of the optical dark trap (ODT) for resonant atoms and ions. This trap is based on the rectified gradient forces acting on particles in the field of a combination of multiple bichromatic cosine-Gauss optical beams (CGBs). Such a bichromatic ODT can have a depth significantly exceeding the depth of the typical dark optical traps and is comparable with the depth of magneto-optical traps ( ∼ 1 K).
Abstract A kinetic model of atom confinement in a bichromatic dark trap (BDT) is developed with the goal of describing its dissipative properties. The operating principle of the deep BDT is based on using the combination of multiple bichromatic cosine–Gaussian optical beams (CGBs) for creating high-potential barriers, which is described in our previous work (Krasnov 2016 Laser Phys . 26 105501). In the indicated work, particle motion in the BDT is described in terms of classical trajectories. In the present study, particle motion is analyzed by means of the Wigner function (phase-space distribution function (DF)), which allows one to properly take into account the quantum fluctuations of optical forces. Besides, we consider an improved scheme of the BDT, where CGBs create, apart from plane potential barriers, a narrow cooling layer. We find an asymptotic solution of the Fokker–Planck equation for the DF and show that the DF of particles deeply trapped in a BDT with a cooling layer is the Tsallis distribution with the effective temperature, which can be considerably lower than in a BDT without a cooling layer. Moreover, it can be adjusted by slightly changing the CGBs’ radii. We also study the effect of particle escape from the trap due to the scattering of resonant photons and show that the particle lifetime in a BDT can exceed several tens of hours when it is limited by photon scattering.
Abstract A novel mechanism of the formation of a deep optical superlattice (OSL) for three-dimensional (3D) trapping of resonant impurity atoms immersed in a transparent cold buffer gas is proposed and investigated theoretically. This mechanism is associated with the joint action of two factors of different physical nature: rectification effect of the gradient force of light pressure and effect of the light induced drift (LID) of atoms (a consequence of the difference in gas-kinetic cross sections of excited and unexcited atoms). Such a situation can be realised when a gas mixture is irradiated by a bichromatic combined light beam which is a special coaxial superposition of cosine-Gaussian optical beams. Here, the RcGF creates a periodic 1D array of deep potential wells (OSL) along the beam axes, and an effective force, causing LID, pulls resonant particles into the combined light beam and provides their transverse (with respect to the beam axes) confinement in OSL. As a result, there can occur a giant accumulation of impurity particles in the OSL cells, accompanied by a strong spatial particle localization far away from the walls of the reservoir, in which the gas mixture is located.
We propose a new scheme for constructing a single-beam dark optical trap that minimizes light-induced perturbations of the trapped atoms. The proposed scheme optimizes the trap depth for given trapping laser power and detuning by creating a light envelope with (a) an almost minimal surface area for a given volume and (b) the minimal wall thickness that is allowed by diffraction. The stiffness of the trap’s walls, combined with the large detuning allowed by the efficient distribution of light intensity, yields a low spontaneous photon scattering rate for the trapped atoms. Our trap also optimizes the loading efficiency by maximizing the geometrical overlap between a magneto-optical trap and the dipole trap. We demonstrate this new scheme by generating the proposed light distribution of a single-beam dark trap with a trap depth that is ∼33 times larger than that of existing blue-detuned traps and ∼13 times larger than that of a red-detuned trap with the same diameter, detuning, and laser power. Trapped atoms are predicted to have a decoherence rate that is >200 times smaller than in existing single-beam dark traps and ∼1800 times smaller than in a red-detuned trap with the same diameter, depth, and laser power.
Summary form only given. Blue-detuned optical traps confine neutral atoms mostly in the dark, therefore reducing the perturbations induced by the trapping light on the atoms. Recently, traps based on a single laser beam were demonstrated, providing greater experimental simplicity and enabling dynamical changes of the trap geometry and strength. However, all these traps have a large difference in the potential strength in the radial and axial directions, resulting in a very inefficient use of the available laser power, and a poor loading efficiency from the magneto-optical trap. In this work we present a novel optical scheme to generate an optimal trap, which maximizes the trap depth, and greatly reduces the light-induced perturbations to the atoms. This is achieved by surrounding a dark volume with a light envelope having (a) an almost minimal surface area for a given volume, (b) the minimal wall thickness allowed by diffraction, and (c) an almost constant wall height on every point on the envelope. The stiffness of the walls, combined with the large detuning allowed by the efficient distribution of light intensity, yield a very low photon scattering rate for the trapped atoms.
Abstract The quasiclassical kinetic theory of optical forces has been applied to describe the kinetics of accumulation, deep trapping and cooling of particles in a bichromatic dark trap (BDT), which is placed into a reservoir with a thermal gas at room temperature containing an admixture of resonant atoms. BDT (proposed in our previous works, Krasnov 2016 Laser Phys. 26 105 501, 2017 27 085 501) is a multiple-optical-beam dark trap, in which rectified gradient forces in a bichromatic light field are used to manipulate the particles. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the possibility of direct BDT loading from the equilibrium gas mixture which will result in trapping and cooling of a sufficiently great amount of atoms by BDT. We derived a reduced Fokker-Planck equation in the energy space (for the Wigner particle distribution function) including the collision term. This equation takes into account the optical trapping force, its quantum fluctuations, particle loss from the trap and weakly-dissipative nature of BDT. Its asymptotic solution allows one to describe the particle kinetics and obtain explicit formulas for the main characteristics of BDT (particle capture rate into BDT, temperature and number of the trapped particles). Ultimately, we demonstrate the high efficiency of the particle accumulation in BDT. In particular, the concentration of the trapped particles (with the temperature at least by four orders of magnitude lower than the room temperature) has been shown to be able to exceed the concentration of the ‘hot’ untrapped particles by several dozens of times, and it has been demonstrated that the accumulation efficiency can reach the values of the order of 10 3 .