Optical pumping via a velocity-selective state

Abstract

We present a new scheme of sub-Doppler laser cooling for atoms used in atomic frequency standards, particularly for 40Ca. We perform calculations concerning optical pumping via a velocity- selective state based upon velocity-selective coherent population trapping. Optical pumping on the Raman transition 41S0- 41P1-31D2 leads to population of the metastable singlet state followed by a decay into the metastable triplet state 4P1. The momentum distribution of atoms in that state (with a half-maximum width of about one corresponding photon recoil momentum) is a direct replica of the distribution of atoms in the 3D2 state.