Abstract

Since the first experimental evidence that neutral atoms can be manipulated with the aid of the momentum of photons, many techniques have been developed to cool and trap atoms. One of the most promising techniques is the so called magneto optical trap (MOT). This configuration consists of six orthogonal laser beams intersecting in a volume with a magnetic field gradient.¹ Under certain conditions concerning laser frequency, laser polarization, and atomic transition, the total light scattering force on the atoms is damping and trapping at the same time. This gives rise to a small and extremely cold atomic cloud, ideal for the study of collisional processes and spectroscopy. The robustness of the trap is exemplified by the fact that it can even operate with atoms in a vapor cell.²

© 1994 IEEE