Efficient demagnetization cooling of atoms and its limits

Valentin V. Volchkov, Jahn Rührig, Tilman Pfau, and Axel Griesmaier
Phys. Rev. A 89, 043417 – Published 17 April 2014

Abstract

Demagnetization cooling relies on spin-orbit coupling that brings motional and spin degrees of freedom into thermal equilibrium. In the case of a gas, one has the advantage that the spin degree of freedom can be cooled very efficiently using optical pumping. We investigate demagnetization cooling of a chromium gas in a deep optical dipole trap over a large temperature range and reach high densities up to 5×1019 m3. We study the loss mechanism under such extreme conditions and identify excited-state collisions as the main limiting process. We discuss that in some systems demagnetization cooling has a realistic potential of reaching degeneracy by optical cooling only.

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  • Received 13 June 2013
  • Revised 1 February 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.89.043417

©2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Valentin V. Volchkov1,2, Jahn Rührig1, Tilman Pfau1, and Axel Griesmaier1

  • 15. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
  • 2Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d'Optique, CNRS, 2 Avenue Augustin Fresnel, 91127 Palaiseau Cedex, France

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Issue

Vol. 89, Iss. 4 — April 2014

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