AN ATOM TRAP RELYING ON OPTICAL-PUMPING

We have investigated a new radiation pressure trap which relies on opt ical pumping and does not require any magnetic field. It employs six c ircularly polarized divergent beams and works on the red of a J(g) --> J(e) = J(g) + 1 atomic transition with J(g) greater-than-or-equal-to 1/2. We have demonstrated this trap with cesium atoms from a vapour ce ll using the 852nm J(g) = 4 --> J(e) = 5 resonance transition. The tra p contained up to 3 . 10(7) atoms in a cloud of 1/square-roote radius of 330 mum.