Superfast Cooling

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates through numerical analysis that laser cooling can be achieved in the strong coupling regime, enabling faster cooling rates than the trap frequency for atoms, ions, and mechanical oscillators.

Contribution

It introduces a feasible strong coupling cooling scheme that surpasses the traditional weak coupling limit using current experimental parameters.

Findings

Cooling rates faster than trap frequency are achievable in strong coupling regime.

The scheme is applicable to trapped atoms, ions, and mechanical oscillators.

It can cool medium-sized ion chains close to the ground state.

Abstract

Currently laser cooling schemes are fundamentally based on the weak coupling regime. This requirement sets the trap frequency as an upper bound to the cooling rate. In this work we present a numerical study that shows the feasibility of cooling in the strong coupling regime which then allows cooling rates that are faster than the trap frequency with state of the art experimental parameters. The scheme we present can work for trapped atoms or ions as well as mechanical oscillators. It can also cool medium size ions chains close to the ground state.