Nanophotonic cavity cooling of a single atom

We investigate the external and internal dynamics of a two-level atom strongly coupled to a weakly pumped nanophotonic cavity. We calculate the dipole force, friction force, and stochastic force due to the cavity pump field and show that a three-dimensional cooling region exists near the surface of a cavity. Using a two-color evanescent field trap as an example, we perform three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate the efficient loading of single atoms into a trap by momentum diffusion, and the stability of cavity cooling near the trap center. Our analyses show that cavity cooling can be a promising method for directly loading cold atoms from free space into a surface microtrap. We further discuss the impact of pump intensity on atom trapping and loading efficiency.