Cooling and trapping cesium atoms in pi-polarized potential wells: the jumping regime of optical lattices

Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel, Département de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, France

Received: 6 January 1997
Accepted: 7 April 1997

Abstract

We present an experimental investigation of a three-dimensional (3D) optical lattice where the light polarization is linear at the bottom of the potential wells instead of being circular as in previous studies. In the present situation, optical pumping induces frequent transitions between differently light-shifted Zeeman sublevels (jumping regime). However, narrow vibrational lines are still observed as a result from a motional narrowing-like phenomenon taking place in this lattice. The atomic kinetic temperature is investigated and shown to be lower than in a standard 3D lin lin optical lattice.