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arXiv:1307.6500 · Laser Physics

Optical self-focusing effect in coherent light scattering with condensates

Chengjie Zhu, L. Deng, E. W. Hagley, Guoxiang Huang

Published Apr 30, 2014• 7 citations
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Abstract

We present a theoretical investigation of optical self-focusing effects in light scattering with condensates. Using long (>200 µ s), red-detuned pulses we show numerically that a non-negligible self-focusing effect is present that causes rapid optical beam width reduction as the scattered field propagates through a medium with an inhomogeneous density distribution. The rapid growth of the scattered field intensity and significant local density feedback positively to further enhance the wave generation process and condensate compression, leading to highly efficient collective atomic recoil motion.

DOI
10.1088/1054-660x/24/6/065402

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We present a theoretical investigation of optical self-focusing effects in light scattering with condensates. Using long (>200 µ s), red-detuned pulses we show numerically that a non-negligible self-focusing effect is present that causes rapid optical beam width reduction as the scattered field propagates through a medium with an inhomogeneous density distribution. The rapid growth of the scattered field intensity and significant local density feedback positively to further enhance the wave generation process and condensate compression, leading to highly efficient collective atomic recoil motion.
The results of one experiment (Strecker et. al.), is numerically simulated to demonstrate that a mean-field approach is capable of describing an attractive condensate in an area of nonlinear behavior such as soliton creation, and to investigate the soliton interactions by extending the experimental parameters. In the experiment being studied, the released BEC formed a train of multiple solitons which oscillated collectively in a weak harmonic potential for many cycles, each soliton kept apart from its neighbor by the alternating phase structure of the ensemble. This result suggests the possibility of designing a series of self-focussing, phase-engineered coherent matter pulses as the basis of future experiments in non-linear atom optics. Experimentally, a quasi-1D condensate was formed in a box-like potential with significantly tighter confinement in the transverse than the axial dimension. Manipulation of a Feshbach resonance rapidly tuned the scattering length of the atoms from positive to negative, resulting in a condensate which became attractive at, or shortly after, its release. Most of the unconfined atoms were ejected in a burst, leaving behind a small proportion of remnant atoms as solitons. These were allowed to evolve as they propagated along the axial potential of a far red-detuned laser field for a short time before being imaged.
We show that a Bragg resonance is substantially incapacitated in short-pulse, matter-wave superradiant scatterings and both positive- and negative-order scatterings contribute equally. We further show that propagation gain is small and scattering events primarily occur at the ends of the condensate where the generated field has maximum strength. This explains the apparent ``asymmetry'' in the scattered components with respect to the condensate center. In contrast to long-pulse excitation, we prove that the generated field travels near the speed of light in vacuum and show that this has a significant impact on scattering. Finally, we show that when the excitation rate increases, the front-edge steepening and forward shifting of the peak of the generated field are due to depletion of the condensate.
Summary form only given. Bose-Einstein condensed atomic gases are a new class of quantum fluids with many novel properties. We have studied collective modes and dissipation by perturbing the condensate with focused laser beams. The scattering of photons imparts momentum to the condensate and creates excitations. Consequently, the coherence and collective behavior of the condensate can strongly affect optical properties. We used light scattering to demonstrate that the coherence length of a condensate is equal to its physical size, and obtained dramatic evidence for the presence of correlated momentum excitations in the many-body condensate wavefunction. At higher laser intensity, a new form of superradiance was found which provided a gain mechanism for the generation of directed beams of atoms and light. This process amplified matter waves in a phase coherent way.