Abstract

Thanks to the robustness of the magneto-optical atomic trap, it has now become possible to use clouds of cold atoms to perform nonlinear and quantum optics experiments [1]. This novel medium offers the interesting feature of negligible Doppler width, while preserving a large number of atoms. Strong non-linear effects can then be obtained, taking advantage of the possibility of accurate control of the atom-laser detuning.

© 1996 IEEE