Experimental observation of optically trapped atoms.
01 January 1986
We report the first observation of optically trapped atoms. Sodium atoms cooled below 10(-3) kappa in "optical molasses" are captured by a dipole-force optical trap created by a single strongly-focused Gaussian laser beam tuned several hundred GHz below the D(1) resonance transition. We estimate that about 500 atoms are confined in a volume of about 10(3)micron(3) at a density of 10(11)-10(12)cm(-3). Trap lifetimes are limited by background pressure to several seconds. The observed trapping behavior is in good quantitative agreement with theoretical expectations.