摘要
We propose a novel gravito-optical surface trap （COST） for neutral atoms based on one-dimensional intensity gradient cooling. The surface optical trap is composed of a blue-detuned reduced semi-Gaussian laser beam （SGB）, a far-blue-detuned dark hollow beam and the gravity field. The SGB is produced by the diffraction of a collimated Gaussian laser beam passing through the straight edge of a semi-infinite opaque plate and then is reduced by an imaging lens. We calculate the intensity distribution of the reduced SGB, and study the dynamic process of the SGB intensity-gradient induced Sisyphus cooling for ^87Rb atoms by using Monte Carlo simulations. Our study shows that the proposed GOST can be used not only to trap cold atoms loaded from a standard magneto-optical trap, but also to cool the trapped atoms to an equilibrium temperature of 3.47μK from ～120μK, even to realize an all-optical two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensation by using optlcal-potential evaporative cooling.
We propose a novel gravito-optical surface trap （COST） for neutral atoms based on one-dimensional intensity gradient cooling. The surface optical trap is composed of a blue-detuned reduced semi-Gaussian laser beam （SGB）, a far-blue-detuned dark hollow beam and the gravity field. The SGB is produced by the diffraction of a collimated Gaussian laser beam passing through the straight edge of a semi-infinite opaque plate and then is reduced by an imaging lens. We calculate the intensity distribution of the reduced SGB, and study the dynamic process of the SGB intensity-gradient induced Sisyphus cooling for ^87Rb atoms by using Monte Carlo simulations. Our study shows that the proposed GOST can be used not only to trap cold atoms loaded from a standard magneto-optical trap, but also to cool the trapped atoms to an equilibrium temperature of 3.47μK from ～120μK, even to realize an all-optical two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensation by using optlcal-potential evaporative cooling.
基金
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 10174050, 10374029 and 10434060, the Shanghai Priority Academic Discipline and the 211 Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China.
