Very cold trapped atoms in a vapor cell

We have produced a very cold sample of spin-polarized trapped atoms. The technique used dramatically simplifies the production of laser-cooled atoms. In this experiment, 1.8×107 neutral cesium atoms were optically captured directly from a low-pressure vapor in a small glass cell. We then cooled the <1-mm3 cloud of trapped atoms and loaded it into a low-field magnetic trap in the same cell. The magnetically trapped atoms had an effective temperature as low as 1.1+0.2 1/4K, which is the lowest kinetic temperature ever observed and far colder than any previous sample of trapped atoms. © 1990 The American Physical Society.

Duke Scholars

Author Christopher R Monroe Electrical and Computer Engineering