Observation of collective-emission-induced cooling of atoms in an optical cavity.
We report the observation of collective-emission-induced, velocity-dependent light forces. One-third of a falling sample containing 3 x 10(6) cesium atoms illuminated by a horizontal standing wave is stopped by cooperatively emitting light into a vertically oriented, confocal resonator. We observe decelerations up to 1500 m/s(2) and cooling to temperatures as low as 7 microK, well below the free-space Doppler limit. The measured forces substantially exceed those predicted for a single two-level atom.
Chan
Hilton W
HW
Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4060, USA.
Black
Adam T
AT
Vuletić
Vladan
V