MAGNETIC-FIELD-INDUCED LASER COOLING BELOW THE DOPPLER LIMIT

We report a new cooling scheme used to actively collimate an atomic beam of Rb85 with one-dimensional optical molasses. The atoms transverse velocity is damped by a standing wave of circularly polarized light in a magnetic field of 2 cm/s (rms), well below the Doppler velocity vD=(7Latin small letter h with stroke/20M)1/20 cm/s for one-dimensional optical molasses. The minimum measured velocity is limited only by the experimental geometry. We have developed a model in which the mixing by the field and optical pumping combine to form a cycle that cools below the Doppler limit, in agreement with our measurements. © 1990 The American Physical Society.