LASER-NOISE-INDUCED HEATING IN FAR-OFF RESONANCE OPTICAL TRAPS

Using a simple model, we calculate the heating rates arising from lase r intensity noise and beam-pointing fluctuations in far-off resonance optical traps. Intensity noise causes exponential heating, while beam- pointing noise causes heating at a constant rate. The achievement of h eating time constants well beyond 10 sec imposes stringent requirement s on the laser noise power spectra. Noise spectra are measured for a c ommercial argon-ion laser To illustrate the expected time scales.