On the Stability of Optical Lattices

In this article, we present an analysis of the stability of optical lattices. Starting with the study of an unstable optical lattice, we establish a necessary and sufficient condition for intrinsic phase stability and discuss two practical solutions to fulfill this condition, namely, minimal and folded optical lattices. We then present a particular example of a two-dimensional folded optical lattice, which has the advantages of being symmetric, possessing power recycling, and having a convenient geometry. We have used this lattice for laser collimation of a continuous cesium beam in a fountain geometry.