COOLING OF TRAPPED MULTILEVEL IONS - A NUMERICAL-ANALYSIS

Laser cooling of trapped multilevel ions is studied numerically. The i ons are assumed to be localized to spatial dimensions smaller than the optical wavelength (Lamb-Dicke regime). A master equation for the cen ter-of-mass motion is used to numerically evaluate cooling rates and f inal temperatures for arbitrary light field configurations. The result s show both well-known cooling mechanisms (Doppler cooling, sideband c ooling) and effects introduced by the presence of multiple atomic leve ls. Quantitative results are given for a trapped Ba+ ion. The numerica l procedure can easily be adapted for all ions used in today's trappin g experiments.