Title:	Cooling and stabilization by collisions in a mixed ion-atom system
Authors:	Ravi, K. Lee, Seunghyun Sharma, Arijit Werth, G. Rangwala, S.A.
Issue Date:	Oct-2012
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Citation:	Nature Communications, 2012, Vol.3, p1126
Abstract:	In mixed systems of trapped ions and cold atoms, the ions and atoms can coexist at different temperatures. This is primarily due to their different trapping and cooling mechanisms. The key questions of how ions can cool collisionally with cold atoms and whether the combined system allows stable coexistence, need to be answered. Here we experimentally demonstrate that rubidium ions cool in contact with magneto-optically trapped rubidium atoms, contrary to the general experimental expectation of ion heating. The cooling process is explained theoretically and substantiated with numerical simulations, which include resonant charge exchange collisions. The mechanism of single collision swap cooling of ions with atoms is discussed. Finally, it is experimentally and numerically demonstrated that the combined ion-atom system is intrinsically stable, which is critical for future cold chemistry experiments with such systems.
Description:	Restricted Access.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/5548
ISSN:	2041-1723
Alternative Location:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2131
Copyright:	2012 Nature Publishing Group
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (LAMP)

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