2006/10/18 by M. Fattori, T. Koch, Tobias Koch +9 · 75 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Atomic physics #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Degeneracy (biology) #Degrees of freedom (physics and chemistry) #Demagnetizing field #Dipole #Kinetic energy #Magnetic field #Magnetization #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Thermodynamics #Ultracold atom #Work (physics) #cond-mat.other
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/nphys443
published in Nature Physics 2(11), 765-768 (Nature Portfolio) · 10 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2006/10/18 · openalex publication_date 2006/10/29 · arxiv updated 2015/06/25 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We demonstrate demagnetization cooling of a gas of ultracold 52Cr atoms. Demagnetization is driven by inelastic dipolar collisions which couple the motional degrees of freedom to the spin degree. By that kinetic energy is converted into magnetic work with a consequent temperature reduction of the gas. Optical pumping is used to magnetize the system and drive continuous demagnetization cooling. Applying this technique, we can increase the phase space density of our sample by one order of magnitude, with nearly no atom loss. This method can be in principle extended to every dipolar system and could be used to achieve quantum degeneracy via optical means.