Laser collimation of a chromium beam

Abstract

We have studied laser collimation of a chromium atomic beam using a transverse polarization gradient cooling scheme. We present detailed measurements of the angular distribution of atoms on the beam axis, over a broad range of laser intensities and detunings, including those that produce significant excitation, and observe collimation angles as small as 0.16\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01 mrad (50% quantile). We compare our results with existing calculations based on assumptions of steady-state conditions and low excited-state population.