Abstract.
In this paper, we present an experimental study of a model ratchet consisting of laser-cooled rubidium atoms localized in an asymmetric periodic potential. This potential is obtained from a near-resonant light field and an additional static magnetic field. We show that there is a net motion of atoms with a mean velocity on the order of a few cm per second, and we investigate the role of the asymmetry of the potential and of the dissipation in the atomic motion. A link with the stochastic resonance is proposed.
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Received: 3 December 2001 / Accepted: 11 February 2002 / Published online: 22 April 2002
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Robilliard, C., Lucas, D. & Grynberg, G. Modelling a ratchet with cold atoms in an optical lattice . Appl Phys A 75, 213–216 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003390201333
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003390201333