Abstract

In a magneto-optical trap (MOT) two main mechanisms contribute to the total trap loss rate. Radiative escape (RE), where the spontaneous emission within the collision duration transforms internal energy into kinetic motion. Fine-structure changing collision (FSC) is an exoergic process where a pair excited - ground state atoms undergoes a change to the lower state of the fine-structure doublet, followed by a release of ΔE_FSC/2 in kinetic energy, normally enough to eject the atoms from the trap.

© 1999 Optical Society of America