Abstract

In atom optics, techniques were proposed to confine atoms in 2D waveguides utilizing light potentials or static magnetic fields on surfaces For atoms close to the surface at distances shorter than the optical wavelength, the atom-surface van der Waals interaction is inevitable and represents a complicating factor for these experiments [1]. Here we propose to confine neutral atoms directly in a particular state of a surface potential well thanks to a laser induced Raman transfer connecting optical transitions of free cold atoms to the surface bound states.

© 2000 IEEE