Cooling in a Bistable Optical Cavity

We propose a new approach to non-resonant laser cooling of atoms and molecules based on their interaction with a bistable cavity supporting a standing wave mode. The bistability may be induced by an external feedback loop, or by intaracavity nonlinear optical elements. The method exemplifies a photonic version of Sisyphus cooling, in which the matter-dressed cavity extracts energy from the particles and discharges it to the external field as a result of sudden transitions between two stable states. In contrast to the conventional cavity cooling, in which atoms experience a viscous-type force, the bistable cavity imitates ``dry friction'', and stops the atoms much faster. We provide an analytical estimate for the stopping force, consider numerically the cooling of an ensemble of particles in a bistable cavity, and discuss the prospects of our method for cooling micromechanical resonators.