Laser cooling and trapping of atoms in optical and micro-wave electro-magnetic trap

Abstract

Presents work on the realization of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in optical and electro-magnetic traps. We have done some theoretical and experimental work on the project. We have proposed an optical funnel or a hollow beam, which are produced from a short micron-sized hollow optical fiber or a set-up of lenses. The cold atoms extracted from an magneto-optical trap experience effective Sisyphus cooling in the dark hollow beam. We calculate the potential barriers for atomic guiding in the dark hollow beam, and analyze the atomic losses during the guiding process. Inside the hollow beam atoms experience an efficient Sisyphus cooling and repumping-beam induced geometric cooling. We have estimated the total loss rate of the cold atoms, and it shows that an ultracold and dense Rb atomic sample with a 3D temperature of /spl sim/1 K can be obtained and the appearance of an optically-trapped Bose-Einstein condensation may be possible in this optical trap. We have also made a proposal of a micro-wave electro-magnetic trap, which is working at the frequency which is very far from the optical transition of the cold atoms. The trapping force comes from the interaction between the electro-magnetic induced magnetic dipole moment with the electro-magnetic field. Theoretical calculation shows that the force can be used to trap the cold atoms in the trap.