Towards high phase space density via cavity cooling

Optical cooling of atoms to achieve Bose-Einstein condensation has been recently demonstrated via degenerate Raman sideband cooling [1]. This technique is faster and more efficient than conventional evaporative cooling. However, it is challenging to implement Raman sideband cooling in atoms or molecules with complicated internal energy structures. A way to overcome this limitation is cavity cooling. Using this method, cooling many atoms down to the theoretical limit has been demonstrated with more efficiency than evaporative cooling [2]. Remarkably, cavity cooling is independent of the internal atomic structure. These advantages make cavity cooling a potential technique to generate Bose Einstein condensates that can be applied to many different atomic species. In this work, we report our experimental progress towards reaching high phase space density via cavity cooling. [1] Science 358, 1078-1080 (2017) [2] Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 183601 (2017)