Abstract

We present exact time-dependent solutions of the Fokker–Planck equation including the collisional term, which describes the influence of the laser field and collisions with the surrounding gas on the temporal behavior of the distribution function of cooled particles in the last stage of the cooling process. These solutions allow us to estimate the influence of collisions on the limiting temperature of free particles and trapped ions.

© 1993 Optical Society of America

Effect of long-range collisions between atoms on laser cooling

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