Abstract

We have constructed a novel storage device for atoms that uses a concave atomic mirror and gravity for confinement. The concave mirror for atoms consists of a near-resonant evanescent light field formed by total internal reflection of a laser beam off a curved surface. When the light field is tuned blue of resonance, atoms are repelled by the dipole force. Equivalent flat atomic mirrors have been demonstrated by others.^1,2 The gravito-optical cavity is this concave atomic mirror pointed upward. An atom dropped onto the mirror will bounce and will continue to bounce with gravity acting to close the cavity. The curvature of the mirror will tend to confine the atoms transversely, providing absolutely stable orbits. An analysis of the orbits, stability, and mode structure of such a cavity has been performed by Wallis et al.³

© 1993 Optical Society of America