Light traps using spontaneous forces (original) (raw)

ADS

;

• Raab, E. L. ;
• Bagnato, V. ;
• Wieman, C. E. ;
• Watts, R. N.

Abstract

We show that the optical Earnshaw theorem does not always apply to atoms and that it is possible to confine atoms using 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.

Publication:

Physical Review Letters

Pub Date:

July 1986

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevLett.57.310

Bibcode:

1986PhRvL..57..310P

Keywords:

• Laser Outputs;
• Light Beams;
• Traps;
• Poynting Theorem;
• Atomic and Molecular Physics;
• 32.80.Pj;
• Optical cooling of atoms;
• trapping