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Experimental Observation of Optically Trapped Atoms
Open accessAbstract
We report the first observation of optically trapped atoms. Sodium atoms cooled below ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ K in "optical molasses" are captured by a dipole-force optical trap created by a single, strongly focused, Gaussian laser beam tuned several hundred gigahertz below the ${D}_{1}$ resonance transition. We estimate that about 500 atoms are confined in a volume of about ${10}^{3}$ \ensuremath{\mu}${\mathrm{m}}^{3}$ at a density of ${10}^{11}$-${10}^{12}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Trap lifetimes are limited by background pressure to several seconds. The observed trapping behavior is in good quantitative agreement with theoretical expectations.
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Cited by
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Grimm, R., Weidemüller, M., & Ovchinnikov, Y. B. (2000) · Advances In Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics · doi:10.1016/s1049-250x(08)60186-x · Cited by 1,539
Nobel Lecture: The manipulation of neutral particles
Chu, S. (1998) · Reviews of Modern Physics · doi:10.1103/revmodphys.70.685 · Cited by 919
Self-citationCornell, E. A., & Wieman, C. E. (2002) · Reviews of Modern Physics · doi:10.1103/revmodphys.74.875 · Cited by 837
Resolved-Sideband Raman Cooling of a Bound Atom to the 3D Zero-Point Energy
Monroe, C., Meekhof, D. M., King, B. E., Jefferts, S. R., Itano, W. M., Wineland, D. J., & Gould, P. (1995) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.75.4011 · Cited by 731
Levitodynamics: Levitation and control of microscopic objects in vacuum
Gonzalez-Ballestero, C., Aspelmeyer, M., Novotny, L., Quidant, R., & Romero-Isart, O. (2021) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.abg3027 · Cited by 382
Metadata
- Authors
- Chu, S., Bjorkholm, J. E., Ashkin, A., & Cable, A.
- Venue
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 1986-07-21
- Volume
- 57
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 314-317
- ISSN
- 0031-9007 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2053543037
- Cited by
- 829
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 17.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
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- Chu, S., Bjorkholm, J. E., Ashkin, A., & Cable, A. (1986). Experimental Observation of Optically Trapped Atoms. Physical Review Letters. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.57.314
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