08_raman
Resolved-Sideband Raman Cooling to the Ground State of an Optical Lattice
S.E. Hamann, D.L. Haycock, G. Klose, P.H. Pax, I.H. Deutsch* and P.S. Jessen Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 *Center for Advanced Studies, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
We trap neutral Cs atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice and cool them close to the zero-point motion by resolved-sideband Raman cooling. Sideband cooling occurs via transitions between the vibrational manifolds associated with a pair of magnetic sublevels and the required Raman coupling is provided by the lattice potential itself. We obtain mean vibrational excitations nx ny 0.01, corrensponding to a population ~98% in the vibrational ground state. Atoms in the ground state of an optical lattice provide a new system in which to explore quantum state control and subrecoil laser cooling.