Difference between a Quadrupole-Ioffe-Configuration trap and crossed dipole trap? I'm working on a project for my physics class which involves understanding traps such as MOT, QUIC and crossed dipole traps. I'm having a hard time finding resources to understand them starting at a basic level. My request here is two-fold,


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*I would like a suggestion for a good book/ article to understand traps.

*I would like to know the difference between a crossed dipole trap
and a QUIC trap.
 A: I believe, in the class, those three traps are mentioned because they are different in their nature. MOT uses both magnetic and optical fields simultaneously. Dipole trap uses optical fields only, and QUIC uses magnetic fields only.  


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*"Laser cooling and trapping" by Metcalf is a bit outdated now, but should still give you a good explanation. There are also many review articles. Search in the Review of Modern Physics, etc. I vaguely recall the Nobel lecture by Steve Chu (in RMP) gives a good intro on laser cooling and trapping in general. 

*Dipole traps are implemented using laser(s). When you have a red-detuned beam, neutral atoms will be attracted to the intensity maximum. ("Red detuned" means the beam's wavelength is longer than that for a resonant transition for atoms to be trapped.) Therefore, using a single focused red-detuned beam, you can confine cold atoms in the potential well crated by the optical field. This, however, will give you an elongated atomic cloud, because intensity gradient in the transverse direction is significantly larger than in the axial direction in a focused beam. To confine atoms in a more "symmetric" trap, people use two orthogonal beams, which is often called crossed dipole trap. 

*QUIC trap is one of a magnetic trapping technique. In magnetic trapping, you are basically creating an inhomogeneous magnetic field to confine atoms near the field minimum. 
