Comparative investigation of 39K and 40K trap loss rates:: alternative loss channel at low light intensities
Year: 2003
Authors: Modugno G., Roati G., Inguscio M., Santos M.S., Telles G.D., Marcassa L.G., Bagnato V.S.
Autors Affiliation: Univ Florence, INFM, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Florence, Lab Nonlinear Spect, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Fis Sao Carlos, BR-13560970 Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil; Univ Trent, Dipartimento Fis, I-38050 Povo, Tn, Italy.
Abstract: We report a comparative investigation of trap loss rates in a magneto-optical trap for two potassium isotopes, K-39 and K-40, as a function of trap light intensity. The isotopes present a quite similar behavior for the loss rates at high intensities, and a sudden increase of the loss rates at low intensities is present in both cases. While for K-39 such increase can be explained assuming that the major contribution to the losses comes from hyperfine changing collisions, a different loss mechanism must be considered for K-40, which has an inverted ground state hyperfine structure. The experimental results of both isotopes are well reproduced by an alternative model based on radiative escape as the dominant loss mechanism.
Journal/Review: EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL D
Volume: 23 (3) Pages from: 409 to: 413
KeyWords: Atoms; Collisions; Behavior; ColdDOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2003-00059-yCitations: 2data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-10-20References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)