Abstract

A quasi-electrostatic trap (QUEST) realized with a CO₂ laser [1] relies on the electrostatic polarizability of the trapped particles and therefore represents a universal storage device for ultracold particles. An intriguing application of the QUEST is the simultaneous storage of different atomic species. Elastic and inelastic ground-state interactions can be investigated, one species may act as an agent to sympathetically cool the other species, and the formation aud storage of cold ground-state molecules becomes possible in the same trapping volume.

© 2000 IEEE