Deep macroscopic pure-optical potential for laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms

It is possible to trap neutral atoms in optical lattices without using magnetic fields, but it is currently difficult to achieve deep trapping potentials in such systems. Here, the authors propose using bichromatic light to induce an optical rectification effect that results in a strong spatial force variance and therefore deep dissipative potentials, demonstrating that such lattices could replace magneto-optical traps in neutral atom cooling and trapping applications.