Study of laser cooling in deep optical lattice: two-level quantum model

Abstract

We study a possibility of laser cooling of Mg-24 atoms in deep optical lattice formed by intense off-resonant laser field in a presence of cooling field resonant to narrow (3s3s) S-1(0) -> (3s3p) P-3(1) (lambda = 457 nm) optical transition. For description of laser cooling with taking into account quantum recoil effects we consider two quantum models. The first one is based on direct numerical solution of quantum kinetic equation for atom density matrix and the second one is simplified model based on decomposition of atom density matrix over vibration states in the lattice wells. We search cooling field intensity and detuning for minimum cooling energy and fast laser cooling.