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We report the first observation of optically trapped atoms. Sodium atoms cooled below 10^-3 K in "optical molasses" are captured by a dipole-force optical trap created by a single, strongly focused, Gaussian laser beam tuned several hundred gigahertz below the D₁ resonance transition. We estimate that about 500 atoms are confined in a volume of about 10^3 m^3 at a density of 10^11-10^12 cm^-3. Trap lifetimes are limited by background pressure to several seconds. The observed trapping behavior is in good quantitative agreement with theoretical expectations.
Chu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.