2026/07/06 by Matt Himsworth, Chester Camm, Max Carey +12
#physics.atom-ph #quant-ph
Laser cooled and trapped atoms have been the workhorse of atomic physics for the past four decades. The predominant method has been the highly versatile Magneto-Optical Trap. We describe an alternative laser trap involving a simple geometry of collimated laser beams that provides both a velocity and position dependent restoring force such that a dense cloud of cold atoms is formed. This technique produces similar atom number (>106) and density (1010 atoms/cm3) to the Magneto-Optical Trap, albeit with no magnetic field. The beam geometry is compatible with conventional sub-Doppler cooling techniques, allowing the trapped cloud to be cooled to < 10~μK. We demonstrate the validity and robustness of the trap by capturing 87Rb atoms directly from the background vapor and provide a theoretical discussion of the underlying principles. This trap has many unique properties that make it highly suitable for quantum sensing, timing, and computing applications as well as a new tool in fundamental science and metrology.