SCALING LAWS IN VELOCITY-SELECTIVE COHERENT POPULATION TRAPPING IN THE PRESENCE OF POLARIZATION-GRADIENT COOLING

One-dimensional laser cooling based on velocity-selective coherent pop ulation trapping (VSCPT) on a 2(g)-->1(e) transition has been investig ated numerically through the solution of the optical Bloch equations. As in the work of G. Morigi et al. [Phys. Rev. A 53, 2616 (1996)], it has been found that for a large set of atomic and laser parameters, th e VSCPT cooling process may be described through scaling-law relations . The scaling laws are based on the relations between the loss rates a t large atomic momentum and their dependence on the momentum around ze ro value. The role of the laser detuning on the VSCPT trapping efficie ncy has been examined and scaling laws including the detuning have bee n derived. [S1050-2947(97)01111-6].