Three-dimensional simulations of spatiotemporal instabilities in a magneto-optical trap.

Large clouds of atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are known to exhibit spatiotemporal instabilities when the frequency of the trapping lasers comes close to the atomic resonance. Such instabilities possess similarities with stars and confined plasmas, where corresponding nonlinearities may give rise to spontaneous oscillations. In this paper, we describe the kinetic model that has recently been employed in three-dimensional (3D) simulations of spatiotemporal instabilities in a MOT, yielding qualitative agreements with experimentally observed instability thresholds and regimes. Details surrounding its implementation are included, and the impact of its physical effects on the instabilities is investigated to improve the understanding of the complex mechanism at work.