Quantized motion of cold cesium atoms in two- and three-dimensional optical potentials

Abstract

Quantization of atomic motion is observed in two- and three-dimensional cesium optical molasses by stimulated Raman spectroscopy. A new geometry is used with the minimum number of laser beams, so that the topography of the optical potential is not sensitive to phase drifts of the molasses beams. The deepest potential wells are located on a hexagonal lattice in two dimensions and on a body-centered-cubic lattice in three dimensions. They correspond to purely circularly polarized light, allowing a Lamb-Dicke narrowing of the transitions between vibrational levels to occur.