Abstract
Magneto-optical traps (MOTs) provide samples of typically 107 atoms that are optically thick near the trapping laser transition. As a consequence, both strong absorption of a weak probe laser beam sent through the trap and dispersion occur near an atomic resonance line. The light field experiences a phase shift due to atomic dispersion in the trapping volume, and it interferes with the transmitted light field, leading to a diffraction pattern. Dispersive phenomena, which are most prominent off resonance, may provide a method for probing trapped atoms without exchanging photon momenta, and hence heating, as in conventional absorption spectroscopy.
© 1995 Optical Society of America
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