A multi-photon magneto-optical trap

We demonstrate a Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) configuration which employs optical forces due to light scattering between electronically excited states of the atom. With the standard MOT laser beams propagating along the {\it x}- and {\it y}- directions, the laser beams along the {\it z}-direction are at a different wavelength that couples two sets of {\it excited} states. We demonstrate efficient cooling and trapping of cesium atoms in a vapor cell and sub-Doppler cooling on both the red and blue sides of the two-photon resonance. The technique demonstrated in this work may have applications in background-free detection of trapped atoms, and in assisting laser-cooling and trapping of certain atomic species that require cooling lasers at inconvenient wavelengths.

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