Light Traps Using Spontaneous Forces

D. E. Pritchard; E. L. Raab; V. Bagnato; C. E. Wieman; R. N. Watts

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.57.310

Light Traps Using Spontaneous Forces

D. E. Pritchard, E. L. Raab, V. Bagnato, C. E. Wieman, and R. N. Watts

Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 310 – Published 21 July 1986

Abstract

We show that the optical Earnshaw theorem does not always apply to atoms and that it is possible to confine atoms by spontaneous light forces produced by static laser beams. A necessary condition for such traps is that the atomic transition rate cannot depend only on the light intensity. We give several general approaches by which this condition can be met and present a number of specific trap designs illustrating these approaches. These traps have depths on the order of a kelvin and volumes of several cubic centimeters.

Received 28 March 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.57.310

Authors & Affiliations

D. E. Pritchard, E. L. Raab, and V. Bagnato^*

Physics Department and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

C. E. Wieman and R. N. Watts

Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, University of Colorado
National Bureau of Standards, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309