An Atom Trap Relying on Optical Pumping

Abstract

We have investigated a new radiation pressure trap which relies on optical pumping and does not require any magnetic field. It employs six circularly polarized divergent beams and works on the red of a $J_{g} \longrightarrow J_{e} = J_{g} + 1$ atomic transition with $J_{g} \geq 1/2$. We have demonstrated this trap with cesium atoms from a vapour cell using the 852 nm $J_{g} = 4 \longrightarrow J_{e} = 5$ resonance transition. The trap contained up to $3 \cdot 10^{7}$ atoms in a cloud of $1/\sqrt{e}$ radius of 330 $\mu$m.