Trapping of 85Rb atoms by optical pumping between metastable hyperfine states

Abstract

We describe an atom trapping mechanism based upon differential optical pumping between metastable hyperfine states by partially displaced laser beams in the absence of a magnetic field. With realistic laser powers, trap spring constants should match or exceed those typical of magneto-optical traps, and highly flexible tailored trap shapes should be achievable. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we have combined a 1D implementation with magneto-optical trapping in the orthogonal directions, capturing ∼104 85Rb atoms.