Experiments to Control Atom Number and Phase-Space Density in ...
Experiments to Control Atom Number and Phase-Space Density in ...
Experiments to Control Atom Number and Phase-Space Density in ...
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used dur<strong>in</strong>g the course of the experiments described <strong>in</strong> this dissertation: Near-resonant<br />
light slows a<strong>to</strong>ms <strong>in</strong> a Zeeman slower <strong>and</strong> traps a<strong>to</strong>ms <strong>in</strong> a magne<strong>to</strong>-optical trap; far-off<br />
resonant light on the other h<strong>and</strong> creates optical dipole traps. In the lithium experiment<br />
an optical dipole trap is used for optical evaporation <strong>in</strong> order <strong>to</strong> cool the a<strong>to</strong>ms <strong>to</strong><br />
degeneracy. In the rubidium experiment an optical dipole trap s<strong>to</strong>res the a<strong>to</strong>ms after<br />
they have undergone s<strong>in</strong>gle-pho<strong>to</strong>n cool<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
2.6.1 Near-Resonant Light - Scatter<strong>in</strong>g Force<br />
The dom<strong>in</strong>ant effect of near-resonant light is the creation of a strong scatter<strong>in</strong>g<br />
force. If an a<strong>to</strong>m absorbs a pho<strong>to</strong>n, the pho<strong>to</strong>n momentum is transferred <strong>to</strong> the a<strong>to</strong>m. If<br />
the absorption of the pho<strong>to</strong>n is followed by a spontaneous emission process, on average<br />
the emission will not cause a change <strong>in</strong> the momentum of the a<strong>to</strong>m. The net force an<br />
a<strong>to</strong>m experiences from absorption is thus given by [35]<br />
Fscatt = kΓρee, (2.19)<br />
where k is pho<strong>to</strong>n momentum, Γ is the rate of the process <strong>and</strong> ρee is part of the density<br />
matrix <strong>and</strong> describes the probability <strong>to</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d an a<strong>to</strong>m <strong>in</strong> the excited state. Choos<strong>in</strong>g ρee<br />
over ρgg <strong>in</strong>cludes the effects of saturation <strong>and</strong> detun<strong>in</strong>g. The expression for ρee can be<br />
derived from the optical Bloch equations <strong>and</strong> is given by [35]<br />
ρee = 1<br />
2<br />
I/Isat<br />
1+(I/Isat)+4(∆/Γ) 2,<br />
(2.20)<br />
where ∆ = ωlaser −ωresonant. This implies that the scatter<strong>in</strong>g rate <strong>and</strong> scatter<strong>in</strong>g force<br />
are given by<br />
Rscatt = Γ<br />
2<br />
Fscatt = k Γ<br />
2<br />
I/Isat<br />
1+(I/Isat)+4(∆/Γ) 2<br />
I/Isat<br />
1+(I/Isat)+4(∆/Γ) 2.<br />
2.6.2 Far-Detuned Light - AC Stark Shift <strong>and</strong> Optical Dipole Force<br />
(2.21)<br />
(2.22)<br />
Far-off resonant light creates an AC Stark shift, while scatter<strong>in</strong>g forces are neg-<br />
ligible <strong>in</strong> this regime. Consider an a<strong>to</strong>m placed <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> an electric field E generated by<br />
17