Optimizing the catching of atoms or molecules in two-dimensional traps

TL;DR

This paper investigates how to enhance the efficiency of single-photon cooling for atoms and molecules in two-dimensional traps by optimizing the trajectory of an optical dipole box used for trapping.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical analysis of single-photon cooling in 2D traps and demonstrates how optimizing the optical dipole box trajectory improves cooling efficiency.

Findings

Optimized trajectories significantly increase cooling efficiency.

Single-photon cooling is effective in 2D wedge and harmonic traps.

Numerical methods can guide experimental trap optimization.

Abstract

Single-photon cooling is a recently introduced method to cool atoms and molecules for which standard methods might not be applicable. We numerically examine this method in a two-dimensional wedge trap as well as in a two-dimensional harmonic trap. An element of the method is an optical dipole box trapping atoms irreversibly. We show that the cooling efficiency of the single-photon method can be improved by optimizing the trajectory of this optical dipole box.