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arXiv · 1107.2337

Sub-Doppler laser cooling of potassium atoms

M. Landini·S. Roy·L. Carcagni'·D. Trypogeorgos·M. Fattori·M. Inguscio·G. Modugno
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Abstract

We investigate sub-Doppler laser cooling of bosonic potassium isotopes, whose small hyperfine splitting has so far prevented cooling below the Doppler temperature. We find instead that the combination of a dark optical molasses scheme that naturally arises in this kind of systems and an adiabatic ramping of the laser parameters allows to reach sub-Doppler temperatures for small laser detunings. We demonstrate temperatures as low as 25(3)microK and 47(5)microK in high-density samples of the two isotopes 39K and 41K, respectively. Our findings will find application to other atomic systems.

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M. Landini, S. Roy, L. Carcagni', D. Trypogeorgos, M. Fattori, M. Inguscio, G. Modugno. 2011-07-12. Sub-Doppler laser cooling of potassium atoms. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.84.043432

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