Predictions of laser-cooling temperatures for multilevel atoms in three-dimensional polarization-gradient fields

Journal Article · Wed Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.73.0· OSTI ID:20786958

Dunn, Josh W; Greene, Chris H ^[1]

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1. JILA, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440 (United States)

We analyze the dynamics of atom-laser interactions for atoms having multiple, closely spaced, excited-state hyperfine manifolds. The system is treated fully quantum mechanically, including the atom's center-of-mass degree of freedom, and motion is described in a polarization gradient field created by a three-dimensional laser configuration. We develop the master equation describing this system, and then specialize it to the low-intensity limit by adiabatically eliminating the excited states. We show how this master equation can be simulated using the Monte Carlo wave function technique, and we provide details on the implementation of this procedure. Monte Carlo calculations of steady state atomic momentum distributions for two fermionic alkaline earth isotopes, {sup 25}Mg and {sup 87}Sr, interacting with a three-dimensional lin-perpendicular-lin laser configuration are presented, providing estimates of experimentally achievable laser-cooling temperatures.

• OSTI ID: 20786958
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 73; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
COOLING
DEGREES OF FREEDOM
DISTRIBUTION
EXCITED STATES
FERMIONS
LASER RADIATION
MAGNESIUM
MAGNESIUM 25
MONTE CARLO METHOD
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
POLARIZATION
STRONTIUM
STRONTIUM 87
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WAVE FUNCTIONS