HEATING OF COLD CESIUM ATOMS BY BLUE-DETUNED LASER-RADIATION

We investigate two transient effects of cold cesium atom clouds, namel y the loss of atoms due to optical pumping and heating due to blue-det uned laser radiation. The initial temperatures are determined by two d ifferent methods. Temperatures and numbers of atoms in a cloud can be obtained as a function of time during the transient heating from measu red fluorescence. The heating rates are found to follow qualitatively a dispersion-shaped dependence on the excitation laser frequency.