Cooling of atoms on reflection from a surface light wave
Ovchinnikov Yu. B. , Laryushin D. V. , Balykin V. I. , Letokhov V. S.
A decrease in the transverse kinetic energy of a beam of sodium atoms on reflection from a surface light wave has been observed. The decrease is associated with optical pumping between the ground-state hyperfine sublevels of the atoms. The initial transverse momentum of A2hk decreased to 28M after one reflection. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.