Seth Kulin, S. Aubin, Steven Christe, Boris Peker, S. L. Rolston, L. A. Orozco
J. Opt. B, Quantum Semiclass. Opt, 3, 353
We present an optical trap for atoms which we have developed for precision spectroscopy measurements. Cold atoms are captured in a dark region of space inside a blue-detuned hollow laser beam formed by an axicon. We analyse the light potential in a ray optics picture and experimentally demonstrate trapping of laser-cooled metastable xenon atoms.
