Atom cooling, trapping, and quantum manipulation

Abstract

Modern atomic, molecular, and optical physics has advanced primarily by using known physics to devise innovative techniques to better isolate and control the atomic system, and then exploiting this nearly ideal system to achieve higher precision and discover new physical phenomena. The striking advances along these lines have been recognized by awards of Nobel prizes to 21 individuals in this area; most recently, the 1997 Nobel prize was given for laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms (Phys. Today, 1997). In the first half of the twentieth century, the Stern-Gerlach magnet, and later optical pumping, allowed the preparation and analysis of internal quantum numbers. Resonance techniques allowed the quantum state to be changed controllably, and methods such as Ramsey’s separated oscillatory fields, and spin echos created and exploited coherent superposition of internal quantum states. This control of internal states ultimately led to the invention of the maser and the laser. For a brief discussion of what might be called “Rabi physics,” see the article by Kleppner in this volume.