Laser Cooling and Trapping of Atoms and Ions

B. B. Blinov, R. N. Kohn, M. J. Madsen +3 more

We demonstrate broadband laser cooling of atomic ions in an rf trap using ultrafast pulses from a mode-locked laser. The temperature of a single ion is measured by observing the size of a time-averaged image of the ion in the known harmonic trap potential. Although the lowest observed temperature was only about 1K, this method efficiently cools very hot atoms and can sufficiently localize trapped atoms to produce near diffraction-limited atomic images.

F. G. Major

F. G. Major

E. Arimondo, William D. Phillips, F. Strumia +1 more

Beams of atoms and molecules (N.F. Ramsey). Momentum exchange between matter and light (S. Stenholm). Quantum effects in atomic optics (D.F. Walls). New laser cooling mechanisms (C. Cohen-Tannoudji). Laser cooling configurations (G. Nienhuis). Velocity-selective coherent population trapping in one and two dimensions (E. Arimondo). Coupled-pendulum model of the forces on three-level atoms (M. Prentiss et al.). Laser cooling and manipulation of atoms and selected applications (S. Chu). Laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms (W.D. Phillips). Search for montional quantization of laser-cooled atoms (R. Gupta, S. Padua, T. Bergeman, H. Metcalf). The low (temperature) road toward Bose-Einstein condensation in optically and magnetically trapped cesium atoms (Ch. Monroe, E. Comell, C. Wieman). Manipulation of atoms by laser light (W. Ertmer). Laser manipulation of helium: the limits of the semi-classical description (A. Aspect et al.). Light manipulation of atoms (V.1. Balykin). Atom traps and atom optics (D.E. Pritchard and W. Ketterle). Electromagnetic traps for, charged and neutral particles (W. Paul). Laser cooling of trapped ions (W.M. Itano et al.). High-resolution atomic spectroscopy of laser-cooled ions (D.J. Wineland et al.).

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).

Steven Chu, Carl Wieman