External-Feedback Laser Cooling of Gases

Abstract

We analyze the laser cooling of polarizable particles by continuous dispersive position detection and active feedback. The magnitude of the dissipative force is proportional to the particles' photon scattering rate into the detector, while its velocity dependence is determined by the programmable frequency dependence of the loop gain. The method combines final temperatures near the recoil limit with large velocity capture range, and is applicable to multilevel atoms or molecules.