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arXiv:1704.07486 · Nature Communications

Super-radiance reveals infinite-range dipole interactions through a nanofiber

Pablo Solano, P. Barberis-Blostein, F. K. Fatemi, L. A. Orozco, S. L. Rolston

Published Nov 24, 2017• 247 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range atom–atom interactions. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. We use cold 87 Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a unique tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof of principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics.

DOI
10.1038/s41467-017-01994-3

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Abstract Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range atom–atom interactions. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. We use cold 87 Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a unique tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof of principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics.
Abstract Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range atom–atom interactions. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. We use cold 87Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a unique tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof of principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics.
The study of atom-light interaction is a key element of quantum optics and a central part of atomic physics. Systems composed of atoms interacting with each other through the electromagnetic field can be used for studies from fundamental research to practical applications. Experimental realizations of these systems benefit from three distinct attributes: large atom-light coupling, trapping and control of atomic ensembles, and engineering and manipulation of the electromagnetic field. Optical waveguides provide a platform that achieves these three goals. In particular, optical nanofibers are an excellent candidate. They produce a high confinement of the electromagnetic field that improves atom-light coupling, guiding the field that mediates the interactions between atoms, while allowing trapping of the atoms close to it. This thesis describes the uses of an optical nanofiber for quantum optics experiments, demonstrating its possibilities for enabling special atom-light interactions. We trap atoms near the optical nanofiber surface, and characterize the trap in a non-destructive manner. We show how the presence of the nanofiber modifies the fundamental atomic property of spontaneous emission, by altering the electromagnetic environment of the atom. Finally, we use the nanofiber to prepare collective states of atoms around it. These states can radiate faster or slower than a single atom (superradiance and subradiance). The observation of subradiance of a few atoms, a rather elusive effect, evidences nanofibers as a strong candidate for future quantum optics experiments. Moreover, we show how the guided field mediates interaction between atoms hundreds of wavelengths apart, creating macroscopically delocalized collective states.
New effects can arise in quantum physics when there is strong coupling, either between atoms and light or between different quantum systems. This thesis examines an optical nanofiber atom trap as a mediator of atom-light interactions and a potential element of a hybrid quantum system. The evanescent field around the sub-wavelength waist of an optical nanofiber possesses a small mode area that increases the cooperativity between atoms and the mode, in a manner analogous to traditional cavity QED. We demonstrate trapping of 87^{87}87Rb atoms with an optical nanofiber, confining hundreds of atoms with typical trap lifetimes of tens of milliseconds. We then employ single photon counting techniques to study untrapped ensembles of cold atoms around the nanofiber. A first experiment uses intensity autocorrelations of resonance fluorescence emitted into the nanofiber mode to observe a transition from classical to nonclassical photon statistics. Measuring the correlations on longer timescales reveals the motion of atoms through the optical mode, and we develop a correspondence between the transit time and atomic cloud temperature. A second experiment measures Purcell enhancement of spontaneous emission of atoms near the nanofiber by correlating their fluorescence with a known trigger event. The spontaneous decay rate of an atom near a dielectric is modified by the induced dipole and by a change in the modes of the vacuum electromagnetic field. Our observed enhancement of 6.5±0.9%6.5\pm0.9\%6.5±0.9% over the free-space rate matches well with what one finds from mode simulations in our system.
Summary form only given. Developing light-matter interfaces is a crucial capability with unique applications to quantum optics and quantum information networks [1]. In this context, our group focuses on the study of interactions between photons guided by nanoscale waveguides and arrays of trapped atoms. Nanoscale waveguides offer a compelling platform because of the tight transverse confinement of the propagating light, the strong photon-atom coupling in single pass, and the potential long-range atom-atom interaction mediated by the guided photons [2]. Our platform, based on an optical nanofiber, already allowed the demonstration of an all-fibered optical memory with a storage and retrieval efficiency ri = 10% and a high SNR at the single photon level [3]. Then, by using an optical lattice in the evanescent field surrounding the nanofiber with a period close to commensurate with the resonant wavelength, we demonstrated large Bragg reflection by the 1D array of trapped atoms [4].
We fabricate an extremely thin optical fiber that supports a super-extended mode with a diameter as large as 13 times the optical wavelength, residing almost entirely outside the fiber and guided over thousands of wavelengths (5 mm), to couple guided light to warm atomic vapor. This unique configuration balances between strong confinement, as evident by saturation powers as low as tens of nW, and long interaction times with the thermal atoms, thereby enabling fast and coherent interactions. We demonstrate narrow coherent resonances (tens of MHz) of electromagnetically induced transparency for signals at the single-photon level and long relaxation times (10 ns) of atoms excited by the guided mode. The dimensions of the guided mode’s evanescent field are compatible with the Rydberg blockade mechanism, making this platform particularly suitable for observing quantum nonlinear optics phenomena.