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Laser cooling of atoms.

Le refroidissement des atomes par laser.

Author(s) : ASPECT A., DALIBARD J.

Type of article: Article

Summary

For several years, physicists have been able to capture and immobilize small clouds of atoms with "optical mucks" made with laser beams. Atoms can be moved in them at speeds down to several centimeters per second, which corresponds to temperatures on the order of a millionth of a degree above absolute zero. To obtain such cold atoms is not only a technical feat; it also results in a better understanding of the interaction betweens atoms and light, and the discovery of unforeseen effects. The laser cooling of atoms also opens up new fields, from quantic properties of cold atoms to the development of even more precise atomic clocks.

Details

  • Original title: Le refroidissement des atomes par laser.
  • Record ID : 1994-2115
  • Languages: French
  • Source: Recherche - vol. 25 - n. 261
  • Publication date: 1994/01
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

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