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arXiv:1706.04851 · Physical Review Letters

Observation of Optomechanical Strain in a Cold Atomic Cloud

Noam Matzliah, Hagai Edri, Asif Sinay, Roee Ozeri, Nir Davidson

Published Oct 19, 2017• 8 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We report the observation of optomechanical strain applied to thermal and quantum degenerate ^{87}Rb atomic clouds when illuminated by an intense, far detuned homogeneous laser beam. In this regime the atomic cloud acts as a lens that focuses the laser beam. As a backaction, the atoms experience a force opposite to the beam deflection, which depends on the atomic cloud density profile. We experimentally demonstrate the basic features of this force, distinguishing it from the well-established scattering and dipole forces. The observed strain saturates, ultimately limiting the momentum impulse that can be transferred to the atoms. This optomechanical force may effectively induce interparticle interactions, which can be optically tuned.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.119.163201

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We report the observation of optomechanical strain applied to thermal and quantum degenerate ^{87}Rb atomic clouds when illuminated by an intense, far detuned homogeneous laser beam. In this regime the atomic cloud acts as a lens that focuses the laser beam. As a backaction, the atoms experience a force opposite to the beam deflection, which depends on the atomic cloud density profile. We experimentally demonstrate the basic features of this force, distinguishing it from the well-established scattering and dipole forces. The observed strain saturates, ultimately limiting the momentum impulse that can be transferred to the atoms. This optomechanical force may effectively induce interparticle interactions, which can be optically tuned.
We report the observation of the optomechanical strain applied to thermal and to quantum degenerate 87Rb^{87}Rb87Rb atomic clouds when illuminated by an intense, far detuned homogeneous laser beam. In this regime the atomic cloud acts as a lens which focuses the laser beam. As a back action, the atoms experience a force opposite to the beam deflection, which depends on the atomic cloud density profile. We experimentally demonstrate the basic features of this force, distinguishing it from the well-established scattering and dipole forces. The observed strain saturates, ultimately limiting the momentum impulse that can be transferred to the atoms. This optomechanical force may effectively induce inter-particle interactions, which can be optically tuned.
Light-matter interaction is well understood on the single-atom level and routinely used to manipulate atomic gases.However, in denser ensembles, collective effects emerge that are caused by light-induced dipole-dipole interactions and multiple photon scattering.Here, we report on the observation of a mechanical deformation of a cloud of ultracold 87 Rb atoms due to the collective interplay of the atoms and a homogenous light field.This collective light scattering results in a self-confining potential with interesting features: It exhibits nonlocal properties, is attractive for both red-and blue-detuned light fields, and induces a remarkably strong force that depends on the gradient of the atomic density.Our experimental observations are discussed in the framework of a theoretical model based on a local-field approach for the light scattered by the atomic cloud.Our study provides a new angle on light propagation in highdensity ensembles and expands the range of tools available for tailoring interactions in ultracold atomic gases.
This work has theoretically studied the optical properties, such as the object-image relation and the focal length of the atom-optical lens created by far red-detuned Gaussian laser beam perpendicular to the propagation direction of the atomic cloud. Furthermore we have thoroughly studied the collimation effect when the cold atomic clouds passing through the laser beam. The effective transverse temperature can reach tens nanokelvin, which is far smaller than that by 1D polarization gradient cooling.
We have demonstrated an atom-optical lens, with the advantage of a small scale and flexible adjustment of the parameters, realized by a far red-detuned Gaussian laser beam perpendicular to the propagation direction of the cold atomic cloud. The one-dimensional transverse focusing effect of cold atomic clouds at the temperature order of 1 μμμK freely falling through the atom-optical lens on the micron scale have been studied theoretically and then verified experimentally. It is found that theory and experiment are in good agreement.
This work has theoretically studied the optical properties, such as the object-image relation and the focal length of the atom-optical lens created by far red-detuned Gaussian laser beam perpendicular to the propagation direction of the atomic cloud. Furthermore we have thoroughly studied the collimation effect when the cold atomic clouds passing through the laser beam. The effective transverse temperature can reach tens nanokelvin, which is far smaller than that by 1D polarization gradient cooling.
We measure the coherent scattering of light by a cloud of laser-cooled atoms with a size comparable to the wavelength of light. By interfering a laser beam tuned near an atomic resonance with the field scattered by the atoms, we observe a resonance with a redshift, a broadening, and a saturation of the extinction for increasing atom numbers. We attribute these features to enhanced light-induced dipole-dipole interactions in a cold, dense atomic ensemble that result in a failure of standard predictions such as the "cooperative Lamb shift". The description of the atomic cloud by a mean-field model based on the Lorentz-Lorenz formula that ignores scattering events where light is scattered recurrently by the same atom and by a microscopic discrete dipole model that incorporates these effects lead to progressively closer agreement with the observations, despite remaining differences.