Force-assisted velocity selective coherent population trapping

Journal article

We present a fully quantum analysis of velocity selective coherent population trapping (VSCPT) in two schemes for which there is a force which assists in the accumulation of atoms in the trapping state. In the first scheme, the F g=2 to F e=2 transition was studied where the existence of a semiclassical polarization gradient force even for a pure sigma +- sigma - configuration has been demonstrated which gives cooling for blue detuning. We also verify that cooling may be obtained for the F=2 to 1 and F=3 to 2 transitions; our fully quantum mechanical calculations yield a result which is consistent with recent experimental results of Valentin et al. (1992) but differ from previous semiclassical calculations. Secondly, we discuss a scheme of force-assisted VSCPT which combines VSCPT on the F g=1 to F e=1 transition with the coupling to another transition for which a strong sub-Doppler cooling force is present. This scheme allows velocity selective coherent population trapping and the polarization-gradient force to work under optimum conditions simultaneously. We find that both of these two schemes lead to efficient cooling of atoms. © 1995 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Authors: Wu, H; Hillenbrand, G; Morigi, G; Foot, C

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 24
• Pages: 5269-5281
• Publication date: 1995-12-28
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-4075/28/24/012
• EISSN: 1361-6455
• ISSN: 0953-4075
• Language: English