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Laser Cooling Notes
Laser Cooling Notes
Laser Cooling Notes
QUANTUM OPTICS
Prof. Mark Fox
A sub-module of the
ASPECTS OF MODERN PHYSICS module
Spring Semester
10 lectures
Module Synopsis
I. Laser Cooling & Bose-Einstein Condensation
(Lectures 1-5)
II. Photon statistics (Lectures 6-9)
III. Quantum Information Processing
(Cryptography) (Lecture 10)
Course text:
Fox, M.
Quantum Optics, an Introduction
Oxford University Press, 2006
Part I: Laser cooling & BEC
Topics to be covered
• Techniques for laser cooling of atoms
• Theoretical limits on the temperature
• Bose-Einstein Condensation of atoms
atomic beam
3k BT
vmp =
m
vmp = most probable velocity
Doppler cooling mechanism
(a)
absorption
(c)
vx
2δ δ = − ν0
v c
νL′ ν0 frequency
Absorption-emission cycles
1. Laser photon impinges on atom
t=0
2. Atom promoted to excited state
at t = 0
Sisyphus
Energy
absorption
emission
• counter-propagating MJ = +1/2
beams create
interference pattern MJ = −1/2
• Atomic levels shifted ground state: J = 1/2
by the AC-Stark x
effect Position
http://www.lkb.ens.fr/recherche/atfroids/tutorial/index2.htm
7. LE REFROIDISSEMENT D’ATOMES PAR LASER
Recoil limit temperature
1 ( ∆p )2 h2
k BTrecoil = =
2 2m 2mλ 2
h2
∴ Trecoil =
mk Bλ 2
Magneto-optic traps
z • Magnetic quadrupole:
B ∝ (x2 + y2 – 4z2)1/2
i • Atomic energy shift:
y ∆E = gJµBBMJ
x
• attractive for MJ > 0
• repulsive for MJ < 0
i
Optical Molasses
6 counter propagating beams
+ magneto-optic trap
Experimental cooling kit
camera molasses
region
pre–cooling region
40 µK
~2.5 K toms
n g a
a p i
sodium e sc
probe
oven pulse
cooling beam
600 °C
tapered solenoid
400
0
0 10 20 30 40
Laser detuning (MHz)
Main reference
Fox, Quantum Optics, Chapter 11
Web resources:
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/bec/
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2001/
http://ucan.physics.utoronto.ca/
Basic concepts of BEC
4
7/2 kB
CV per molecule / kB
vibrational
Heat capacity 3
motion
of gas of 5/2 kB
rotational
diatomic 2 ? motion 3/2 k
molecules B
1 translational
motion
0
1 10 100 1000 10000
Temperature (K)
• Classical result: CV = ½kB per degree of freedom
• Classical motion freezes out when kBT 1 Equant
Quantization of translational motion
• Third law of thermodynamics: CV → 0 as T → 0
• Translational motion must eventually be quantized
at sufficiently low T
• Most gases liquefy and solidify before quantum
effects observed for the translational motion.
(Helium is the exception.) Atoms/molecules in liquid
or solid phase are not “non-interacting”.
• Need to get to very low temperatures but with “non-
interacting” atoms/molecules. ie need to cool a gas
to very low T without it liquefying.
Bose-Einstein condensation
“From a certain temperature on, the molecules
‘condense’ without attractive forces, that is, they
accumulate at zero velocity. The theory is pretty, but
is there some truth to it.”
A. Einstein, letter to P. Ehrenfest, 29 Nov, 1924
Examples
- superfluid liquid helium TC = 2.17 K
- cold atom gas TC 1 10−6 K
- Cooper pairs in superconductors, neutron stars
- excitons
Transition temperature
2
p2
1 ⎛ h ⎞ 3
λdeB = ⎜ ⎟ ~ kBT
2m 2m ⎝ λdeB ⎠ 2
1/ 3
h ⎛V ⎞
∴ λdeB ~ ~⎜ ⎟
3mkBT ⎝ N ⎠
2 2/3
h ⎛N⎞
∴ TC ~ ⎜ ⎟
3mkB ⎝ V ⎠
Statistical mechanics of BEC
• BEC = accumulation of particles in the ground state
• Fermions (e.g. spin ½ particles) subject to Pauli
exclusion principle. Can only put one particle in the
ground state.
• Hence only bosons (i.e. integer spin particles) can
undergo BEC.
2 2/3
h ⎛N⎞ Condensation
TC = 0.0839 ⎜ ⎟
mkB ⎝ V ⎠ temperature
3/ 2
⎛T ⎞ Fraction in
f (T ) = 1 − ⎜ ⎟
⎝ TC ⎠ condensed phase
Atoms: boson or fermion ?
• Ions no good for BEC because they repel, so
that high densities are not possible. Hence need
to use neutral atoms.
• Electrons, protons, and neutrons are spin ½
fermions
• Satom = Selectrons + Snucleus
• Nelectron = Nproton in neutral atom.
• Hence boson for Nneutron even.
• Examples: 4He, 23Na, 87Rb
Recipe for BEC
• Use laser cooling to cool atoms to near Trecoil
• Confine atom cloud by using a magneto-optic trap
• Turn off laser and reduce potential of trap to
instigate evaporative cooling.
magnetic trap
potential
D ~ vte atomic
gas