Laser Cooling

William D. Phillips

S. V. Petrushkin, В. В. Самарцев

Laser cooling is an important emerging technology in such areas as the cooling of semiconductors. The book examines and suggests solutions for a range of problems in the development of miniature solid-state laser refrigerators, self-cooling solid-state lasers and optical echo-processors. It begins by looking at the basic theory of laser cooling before considering such topics as self-cooling of active elements of solid-state lasers, laser cooling of solid-state information media of optical echo-processors, and problems of cooling solid-state quantum processors. Laser Cooling of Solids is an important contribution to the development of compact laser-powered cryogenic refrigerators, both for the academic community and those in the microelectronics and other industries. Provides a timely review of this promising field of research and discusses the fundamentals and theory of laser cooling Particular attention is given to the physics of cooling processes and the mathematical description of these processes Reviews previous experimental investigations in laser cooling and presents progress towards key potential applications.

William D. Phillips

In 1988, before the beginning of the current contract period, our group discovered that sodium atoms could be laser cooled well below the lower limit (the 'Doppler limit') predicted by the then generally accepted theory. Two main consequences of that discovery were a revamping of the theory of laser cooling and a renewed interest in the applications of laser cooling because of the far lower temperatures. Both of these effects are continuing in full force today, and this report is in large part a record of our group's continuing involvement in the new developments in laser cooling during the past three years. The work of the NIST laser cooling group falls functionally into the categories of: investigating laser cooling mechanisms; studies of collisions between laser cooled atoms; development of new trapping techniques for neutral atoms; study of the fluorescent spectrum of laser cooled atoms; manipulation of atoms and atom optics; development of coherent sources of vacuum ultraviolet light for laser cooling and high resolution spectroscopy; application of laser cooling and trapping technology to atomic frequency standards.

Ignacio Enrique Olivares Bahamondes, Patrick Carrazana

Pierre Meystre

P. Yzombard, M. Hamamda, S. Gerber +2 more

We propose a scheme for laser cooling of negatively charged molecules. We briefly summarize the requirements for such laser cooling and we identify a number of potential candidates. A detailed computation study with C_{2}^{-}, the most studied molecular anion, is carried out. Simulations of 3D laser cooling in a gas phase show that this molecule could be cooled down to below 1 mK in only a few tens of milliseconds, using standard lasers. Sisyphus cooling, where no photodetachment process is present, as well as Doppler laser cooling of trapped C_{2}^{-}, are also simulated. This cooling scheme has an impact on the study of cold molecules, molecular anions, charged particle sources, and antimatter physics.