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Quantum theory of mirror-mediated atom cooling

Quantum theory of mirror-mediated atom cooling
Quantum theory of mirror-mediated atom cooling
We have recently suggested that a polarisable particle may be cooled by its interaction with a monochromatic laser beam if the transmitted beam is reflected back onto the particle by a mirror. The interference of the incoming beam with the reflected beam, which carries a phase imprinted by the particle at an earlier time, leads to a non-conservative potential and to frictional cooling. This simple scheme poses some challenging problems for accurate modelling. On one hand, cooling relies on the back-action of the particle-light interaction on the light itself and therefore the electromagnetic field must be treated dynamically, in contrast to standard free-space laser cooling methods. On the other hand, the system is intrinsically non-Markovian and thus cannot be described by the interaction of the particle with a single or a few discrete quantised modes coupled to a thermal reservoir, as in the case of cavity-mediated cooling [1]. Instead, a mathematical description must either keep track of the system at earlier times or, equivalently by Fourier transform, contain a continuous set of quantised modes [2]. In this talk, I will present a quantum mechanical model following this latter approach. Friction and momentum diffusion can be derived analytically to lowest order in the atom-light coupling strength. This allows us to predict cooling times and steady-state temperatures as a function of system parameters. Finally, we use corresponding semiclassical Monte-Carlo simulations [3] to corroborate these results and to access certain parameter regimes outside the validity of the analytical model.
Horak, P.
520489b5-ccc7-4d29-bb30-c1e36436ea03
Horak, P.
520489b5-ccc7-4d29-bb30-c1e36436ea03

Horak, P. (2009) Quantum theory of mirror-mediated atom cooling. Classical theory of mirror-mediated cooling - CMMC workshop on cavity cooling of atoms, molecules and ions, , Obergurgl, Austria. 04 - 08 Feb 2009.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

We have recently suggested that a polarisable particle may be cooled by its interaction with a monochromatic laser beam if the transmitted beam is reflected back onto the particle by a mirror. The interference of the incoming beam with the reflected beam, which carries a phase imprinted by the particle at an earlier time, leads to a non-conservative potential and to frictional cooling. This simple scheme poses some challenging problems for accurate modelling. On one hand, cooling relies on the back-action of the particle-light interaction on the light itself and therefore the electromagnetic field must be treated dynamically, in contrast to standard free-space laser cooling methods. On the other hand, the system is intrinsically non-Markovian and thus cannot be described by the interaction of the particle with a single or a few discrete quantised modes coupled to a thermal reservoir, as in the case of cavity-mediated cooling [1]. Instead, a mathematical description must either keep track of the system at earlier times or, equivalently by Fourier transform, contain a continuous set of quantised modes [2]. In this talk, I will present a quantum mechanical model following this latter approach. Friction and momentum diffusion can be derived analytically to lowest order in the atom-light coupling strength. This allows us to predict cooling times and steady-state temperatures as a function of system parameters. Finally, we use corresponding semiclassical Monte-Carlo simulations [3] to corroborate these results and to access certain parameter regimes outside the validity of the analytical model.

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More information

Published date: 4 February 2009
Venue - Dates: Classical theory of mirror-mediated cooling - CMMC workshop on cavity cooling of atoms, molecules and ions, , Obergurgl, Austria, 2009-02-04 - 2009-02-08

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 76292
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/76292
PURE UUID: c5187d39-6d81-45e9-bcb8-30658aba65e4
ORCID for P. Horak: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8710-8764

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Mar 2010
Last modified: 07 Feb 2023 02:45

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