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Light Traps Using Spontaneous Forces

Physics Department and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

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E. L. Raab

Physics Department and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

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V. Bagnato

Physics Department and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

Permanent address: Instituto de Fisica e Química de São Carlos da Universidad de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil

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C. E. Wieman

JJoint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA

National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA

Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA

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R. N. Watts

JJoint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA

National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA

Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA

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https://doi.org/10.1142/9789812813787_0031Cited by:0 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract:

We show that the optical Earnshaw theorem does not always apply to atoms and that it is possible to confine atoms by spontaneous light forces produced by static laser beams. A necessary condition for such traps is that the atomic transition rate cannot depend only on the light intensity. We give several general approaches by which this condition can be met and present a number of specific trap designs illustrating these approaches. These traps have depths on the order of a kelvin and volumes of several cubic centimeters.

PACS: 32.80.Pj

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Light Traps Using Spontaneous Forces

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