Abstract

Laser cooling of trapped ions in a standing and running wave configuration is discussed theoretically^[1]. The ions are assumed to be spatially localized on the scale provided by the wavelength of the laser (Lamb-Dicke limit). A master equation for the center-of-mass distribution of the ion is derived for a multilevel system, where the transition rates between the levels of the trapping potential (laser cooling and heating rates) are expressed in terms of correlation functions of quadrature components of the atomic polarization operators. Explicit results are presented for a two- and three-level systems and harmonic trapping potentials.

© 1992 IQEC