title: Counting atoms in a deep optical microtrap.
abstract: We demonstrate a method to count small numbers of atoms held in a deep, microscopic optical dipole trap by collecting fluorescence from atoms exposed to a standing wave of light that is blue detuned from resonance. While scattering photons, the atoms are cooled by a Sisyphus mechanism that results from the spatial variation in light intensity. The use of a small blue detuning limits the losses due to light-assisted collisions, thereby making the method suitable for counting several atoms in a microscopic volume.
authors.affiliation: Jack Dodd Centre for Quantum Technology, Department of Physics, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hilliard
authors.forename: Tzahi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grünzweig
authors.forename: Mikkel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Andersen