CO2-LASER OPTICAL LATTICE WITH COLD RUBIDIUM ATOMS

Laser-cooled rubidium atoms have been trapped in a nondissipative opti cal lattice with a large lattice constant. The lattice potential is ge nerated by the ac Stark shift in an infrared standing wave near 10.6 m u m. The atoms are confined in steep potential wells with a periodicit y of several micrometers. By modulating the potential depth we paramet rically excite the atoms and measure their vibrational frequencies. [S 1050-2947(98)50901-8].