Abstract

The recent demonstration of Bose-Einstein condensation of weakly interacting gases [1,2,3], atomic cavities [4] and proposals for atomic resonators have greatly stimulated the study of quantum statistical effects in the field of atom optics and laser cooling. Quantum statistical effects such as the macroscopic occupation of a trapping potential groundstate in a trapping potential and the realisation of coherent amplification of matter waves are being pursued. A variety of atom optical manipulation, compression and cooling schemes arise from strong confinement or repulsion of atoms in blue detuned light fields.

© 1996 Optical Society of America