Laser Cooling and Atom Trapping

I this talk I outline the physical principles that allow us to cool down =
a gas with laser light that is slightly detuned from a resonance of the
atoms in the gas. I explain how atoms between two counterpropagating =
laser beams are subject to a force that can be described as a =
'frictional force'. A brief derivation of a formula for this force will
be given.  In practice it makes often sense to confine atoms to a =
specified region, this can be done by the application of magnetic fields =
where one makes use of the=20
Zeeman-effect.
My talk will finish with a sketch of 'Sisyphus Cooling', which explains =
why atoms in electromagnetic fields with a periodic change of =
polarization lose kinetic energy.=20