Abstract
The generally accepted theory of laser cooling of free atoms predicts that the lowest achievable temperature is given by kBT = ℏγ/2, where kB is Boltzmann’s constant and γ is the natural linewidth of the transition for laser cooling. This "Doppler cooling limit" results from the minimization of the detuning-dependent temperature at low laser power1: (1) where Δ < 0 is the detuning of the laser from resonance. Eq. 1 is minimized at Δ = −γ/2. For Na cooled on the D2 line, γ = 2π × 10 MHz and the Doppler cooling limit is 240 μK.
© 1988 Optical Society of America
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