Cold atoms in quantum and non-quantum regime: atomic collisions and other experiments
Ultra-cold collisions and experiments with gases in the quantum and non-quantum re...
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The Wigner operator applied to fine-structure collisions between alkaline cold atoms
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| Author(s): |
Helena Carolina Braga
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | São Carlos. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT) |
| Defense date: | 2002-03-22 |
| Examining board members: |
Reginaldo de Jesus Napolitano;
Esmerindo de Sousa Bernardes;
Miled Hassan Youssef Moussa
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| Advisor: | Reginaldo de Jesus Napolitano |
| Abstract | |
In this work we study the collision loss processes caused by fine-structure change and radiative escape. These processes are important because they limit the density and the confinement time of atoms in magneto-optical traps. The use of the Wigner-function formalism allows us to treat the internal degrees of freedom purely quantum mechanically, while treating the dynamics of the external degrees of freedom quasi-classically. This dissertation employs this formalism to derive for the first time, quasi-classical equations describing one-dimensional cold collisions, including dissipation due to spontaneous emission, and an algorithm, also for the first time, to solve numerically the mentioned set of coupled equations. (AU) | |