Laser cooling of atoms has been extensively developped these last years. In particular, it has allowed to put a macroscopic sample of atoms in the same quantum state, phenomenon known as the Bose-Einstein Condensation. One of the original points of this domain is that it has been extensively studied in the frame of condensated matter Physics (superfluidity, superconductivity), and, today, it is oriented towards atomic Physics with the cold atomic samples. The importance of the field of Bose-Einstein Condensates should not hide the basis needed to reach it (Laser Cooling) nor the closely connected fields as ions trapping or cold molecules.

This school is also openned to all european countries, which are the research frame for tomorrow. To help the students who are entering the field, this PreDoc school will present a general overview of the field and an introduction to the underlying phenomena. The lectures will present the theoretical basis, the fondamental concepts, the experimental methods, and a few applications.