laserjäähdytystekniikoilla

Laserjäähdytys, known in English as laser cooling, is a technique used to reduce the temperature of atoms or ions to extremely low levels, often approaching absolute zero. This is achieved by using lasers to slow down the motion of these particles. The fundamental principle relies on the Doppler effect. When a laser beam is tuned to a frequency slightly lower than an atom's resonant frequency, atoms moving towards the laser will perceive the light as being at their resonant frequency due to the Doppler shift. This causes them to absorb a photon.

When an atom absorbs a photon, it gains momentum from the laser beam, which is directed opposite to the atom's motion. Subsequently, the atom re-emits the photon in a random direction. While the re-emission imparts a random momentum kick, on average, the momentum kicks from absorption and re-emission cancel out over many cycles. However, the absorption process consistently reduces the atom's velocity along the laser beam's direction.

By using multiple laser beams from different directions, a six-beam configuration called a "magical trap" or "optical molasses" can be created. This setup effectively cools atoms in all three dimensions. Laser cooling has enabled significant advancements in various scientific fields, including atomic clocks, Bose-Einstein condensates, quantum computing, and precision measurements. It allows for the study of quantum phenomena in highly controlled environments.