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arXiv:0801.3255 · Optics Letters

Simple integrated single-atom detector

Marco Wilzbach, Dennis Heine, S. Groth, Xiyuan Liu, Thomas Raub, Björn Hessmo, Jörg Schmiedmayer

Published Jan 23, 2009• 27 citations
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Abstract

We present a reliable and robust integrated fluorescence detector capable of detecting single atoms. The detector consists of a tapered lensed single-mode fiber for precise delivery of excitation light and a multimode fiber to collect the fluorescence. Both are mounted in lithographically defined SU-8 holding structures on an atom chip. 87Rb atoms propagating freely in a magnetic guide are detected with an efficiency of up to 66%, and a signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 100 is obtained for short integration times.

DOI
10.1364/ol.34.000259

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We present a reliable and robust integrated fluorescence detector capable of detecting single atoms. The detector consists of a tapered lensed single-mode fiber for precise delivery of excitation light and a multimode fiber to collect the fluorescence. Both are mounted in lithographically defined SU-8 holding structures on an atom chip. 87Rb atoms propagating freely in a magnetic guide are detected with an efficiency of up to 66%, and a signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 100 is obtained for short integration times.
We describe a robust and reliable fluorescence detector for single atoms that is fully integrated on an atom chip. The detector allows spectrally and spatially selective detection of atoms, reaching a single-atom detection efficiency of 66%. It consists of a tapered lensed single-mode fiber for precise delivery of excitation light and a multi-mode fiber to collect the fluorescence. The fibers are mounted in lithographically defined holding structures on the atom chip. Neutral 87 Rb atoms propagating freely in a magnetic guide are detected and the noise of their fluorescence emission is analyzed. The variance of the photon distribution allows us to determine the number of detected photons per atom and from there the atom detection efficiency. The second-order intensity correlation function of the fluorescence shows near-perfect photon anti-bunching and signs of damped Rabi oscillations. With simple improvements, one can increase the detection efficiency to 95%.
The subject of this thesis is the miniaturization and integration of detectors for the detection of single rubidium atoms on an atom chip. For this purpose three different detectors were developed for atom detection by absorption or fluorescence: i) A fluorescence detector was realized by mounting a tapered lensed fiber perpendicular to a collection fiber. ii) An absorption detector was built by placing a multi-mode fiber in-line with a tapered lensed fiber. iii) A tunable cavity detector was built from two single mode fibers mounted on the chip surface. To mount the detectors on the planar surface of the atom chip retaining structures by means of lithographical techniques were developed. Those structures allow a very accurate and stable passive fiber alignment. To test the individual detectors an atomic ensemble of thermal rubidium atoms was prepared in a magneto-optical trap. Then the atoms were transferred into magnetic micro-traps of the atom chip and were guided to one of the detectors. Each integrated detector has been evaluated by several characterization measurements. With the fluorescence detector the highest single atom detection efficiency of 54\\% was attained. Thereby it was possible to perform quantitative measurements for the magnetically guided atoms on a single atom level and to study fundamental properties of the confined atoms.
In this thesis a reliable and robust single atom detector is presented, characterised and applied to measure the fluorescence emission of single atoms. The detector consists of a tapered single mode excitation fibre and a multi mode detection fibre, both integrated on an atom chip. Single neutral 87Rb atoms propagating freely in a 1D magnetic guide can be detected with an efficiency of 66% due to highly selective excitation and matched detection region. The detector allows to identify the statistical distribution of the atoms, which, for the current experiments, was proven to be Poissonian. Non-classical correlations in the photon emission from a single atom have been measured, showing a perfect photon anti-bunching. Rabi oscillations of the correlation function have been observed and proven to be in excellent agreement with theoretical expectations. The detector presented here is conceptionally much simpler than comparable integrated detectors employing cavity assisted detection and can be produced by using only commercially available lithographic techniques. With this detector single atom sensitivity is reached without the need for cavity assisted detection or localization of the atoms.
Detecting single atoms (qubits) is a key requirement for implementing quantum information processing on an atom chip. The detector should ideally be integrated on the chip. Here we present and compare different methods capable of detecting neutral atoms on an atom chip. After a short introduction to fluorescence and absorption detection we discuss cavity enhanced detection of single atoms. In particular we concentrate on optical fiber based detectors such as fiber cavities and tapered fiber dipole traps. We discuss the various constraints in building such detectors in detail along with the current implementations on atom chips. Results from experimental tests of fiber integration are also described. In addition we present a pilot experiment for atom detection using a concentric cavity to verify the required scaling.
We explore the feasibility of single atom detection on an atom chip by using a tiny fluorescence detector mounted on the chip. Resonant fluorescence from a trapped ultracold atom will be collected with a miniature aspheric lens and taken out of a vacuum chamber through a fiber. During detection, the atom can be held at the focus of the detector with a dipole trapping beam introduced through the same fiber. We have experimentally determined the optical performance of such a detector, taking into account effects such as stray light from the dipole trapping beam and chromatic aberration. The collection efficiency for isotropically emitted radiation is experimentally obtained to be 2.5%. From this, it is estimated that the fluorescence emitted from a single Rb atom will produce a photon count rate of 4.7x10(4) Hz, which is much larger than the shot noise limited background fluctuations.