Precision measurements using laser cooled atoms

Author

Chu, S. ; Kasevich, M. ; Moler, K. ; Riis, E. ; Weiss, D.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Stanford Univ., CA, USA

fYear

1990

fDate

11-14 June 1990

Firstpage

5

Lastpage

6

Abstract

A number of experimental applications of laser cooling of neutral atoms are described. In an experiment on atomic fountains, laser-cooled atoms pushed up on a vertical trajectory by radiation pressure were observed to turn around due to gravity. A compact cesium fountain that would give three to four orders of magnitude increase in the counting rate over the first experiment can be designed, and the trapping and cooling can be done with diode lasers, suggesting a practical clock. In order to increase the time-averaged flux of such a fountain and also create a continuous fountain, an atomic funnel that can produce an atomic beam of very low velocity ( approximately 270 cm/s) at densities of 10/sup 8/ atoms/cm/sup 2/ has been devised.<>

Keywords

atomic beams; atomic clocks; laser beam applications; radiation pressure (atoms); semiconductor junction lasers; Cs fountain; atomic beam; atomic fountains; atomic funnel; charge neutrality testing; clock; continuous fountain; diode lasers; gravity; laser cooled atoms; neutral atoms; optical clocks; radiation pressure; time-averaged flux; trapping; vertical trajectory; Atom lasers; Atom optics; Atomic beams; Atomic measurements; Clocks; Cooling; Laser beams; Laser theory; Masers; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Precision Electromagnetic Measurements, 1990. CPEM '90 Digest., Conference on

Conference_Location

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CPEM.1990.109897

Filename

109897