Laser cooling of neutral argon for simulating the storage of antimatter
Shin Satori, Hitoshi Kuninaka, K. Kuriki
The storage of antimatter in an electrically neutral state is one of the breakthroughs required to realize antimatter applications. In this work, use of laser cooling to manipulate the motion of neutral atoms by radiative pressure was demonstrated using a commercial laser diode and metastable argon as antimatter simulant. The concept of critical velocity was introduced as a criterion for the laser cooling and its importance was experimentally demonstrated.
Journal of Propulsion and Power•Sep 1, 1996•1 citation