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optical molasses |
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optical molasses [′äp·tə·kəl mə′las·əs] (optics) A viscous damping force exerted on neutral atoms by a pair of identical oppositely directed lasers tuned at a frequency below an atomic resonance. A large number of atoms collected and cooled in a small volume at the intersection of the beams of three orthogonal pairs of such lasers. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| The MOT can achieve higher atom density, but the ball of atoms is typically converted to optical molasses prior to launching. By converting the slowest atoms in the optical molasses into a "dark" state, in which they no longer absorb photons, the team was able to chill helium atoms to a mere 180 billionths of a degree above absolute zero, where the atoms moved at the terrapinlike pace of 2 cm/s. In a typical experiment, the optical molasses has a volume of 1 cubic centimeter and contains about 10 million atoms moving at an average speed of 10 centimeters per second, a five-thousandth of their speed at room temperature. |
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