Abstract
A novel atom trap is described using alternating current to generate the magnetic field, together with high speed polarization switching of the damping laser field. This combination produces a trap as effective as a standard magneto-optical trap (MOT), with the advantage that the average field is zero. No net current is hence induced in surrounding conductive elements, and the field produced by the ac MOT is found to switch off times faster than a conventional MOT. New experiments can hence be performed, including charged particle probing or detection of the cold target ensemble.
- Received 19 May 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.173201
©2008 American Physical Society