This is a book about laser cooling, which allows atoms to be cooled to very low temperatures, and which is a new research field with many potential applications. The authors present an original approach to these problems, using the tools and concepts of statistical physics. A new understanding of laser cooling, both intuitive and quantitative, is obtained. This problem is also a case study allowing non-Gaussian (Lévy) statistics, which are being used more frequently in many different...
More DescriptionThis is a book about laser cooling, which allows atoms to be cooled to very low temperatures, and which is a new research field with many potential applications. The authors present an original approach to these problems, using the tools and concepts of statistical physics. A new understanding of laser cooling, both intuitive and quantitative, is obtained. This problem is also a case study allowing non-Gaussian (Lévy) statistics, which are being used more frequently in many different fields, to be introduced and explained in a simple and thorough way.