Adiabatic Cooling of Atoms by an Intense Standing Wave

Lithium atoms channeled in the nodes of an intense standing-wave radiation field are cooled to near the recoil limit by adibatically reducing the radiation intensity. The final momentum distribution has a narrow component with a root-mean-squared momentum of 2ħk in one dimension, where ħk is the momentum of a radiation-field photon. The data are compared with the results of a Monte Carlo simulation using a two-level atom model. This process may be useful for cooling and increasing the phase-space density of atoms confined in a magnetic trap

Observation of Velocity-Tuned Multiphoton Doppleron Resonances in Laser-Cooled Atoms

An atomic beam of Li was transversely cooled using an intense standing-wave radiation field. A dramatic change in the transverse velocity distribution was observed. Structure in the resulting velocity distribution was found to be due to velocity-tuned multiphoton Doppleron resonances. The force due to seven-photon resonances is clearly resolved in the data. The data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions

Observation of Velocity-Tuned Multiphoton Doppleron Resonances in Laser-Cooled Atoms

An atomic beam of Li was transversely cooled using an intense standing-wave radiation field. A dramatic change in the transverse velocity distribution was observed. Structure in the resulting velocity distribution was found to be due to velocity-tuned multiphoton Doppleron resonances. The force due to seven-photon resonances is clearly resolved in the data. The data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions

Laser Cooling of Lithium Using Relay Chirp Cooling

We demonstrate a chirp-cooling technique that uses a laser with multiple FM sidebands to slow lithium atoms from initial velocities of as much as 1880 m/s to final velocities near zero. Compared with the use of a single sideband, this multisideband technique significantly reduces FM bandwidth requirements and provides a greater flux of slowed atoms

Laser Cooling of Lithium Atoms by a Strong Standing Wave

Dipole force has been used to deflect an atomic beam by large angles and to effect a large increase of the atomic beam intensity. The cooling of transverse velocities of lithium atoms in an atomic beam in the regime of very high standing wave intensity (Rabi frequency ≈ 50) and long interaction time (approximately 5 μs) by using a standing wave with an asymmetric beam waist has been investigated. The transverse position of the atoms is detected by an iridium hot wire located approximately 30 cm downstream from the standing wave. The force for various detunings from resonance has been studied. The hot wire signal when the laser frequency is tuned several linewidths to the blue shows that atoms with very small transverse velocity are cooled, whereas those with greater velocity are heated. Data for two different values of red detuning show that atoms with very small velocities (depending on the magnitude of the detuning) are heated and all other velocities are cooled