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arXiv:2002.01658 · New Journal of Physics

Observation of the 87Rb 5S1/2 to 4D3/2 electric quadrupole transition at 516.6 nm mediated via an optical nanofibre

Tridib Ray, Ratnesh K Gupta, Vandna Gokhroo, Jesse L. Everett, Thomas Nieddu, Krishnapriya S Rajasree, Síle Nic Chormaic

Published Mar 23, 2020• 38 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Light guided by an optical nanofibre has a very steep evanescent field gradient extending from the fibre surface. This gradient can be exploited to drive electric quadrupole transitions in nearby quantum emitters. In this paper, we report on the observation of the 5S1/2 → 4D3/2 electric quadrupole transition at 516.6 nm (in vacuum) in laser-cooled 87Rb atoms using only a few μW of laser power propagating through an optical nanofibre embedded in the atom cloud. This work extends the range of applications for optical nanofibres in atomic physics to include more fundamental tests such as high-precision measurements of parity non-conservation.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/ab8265

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Journal of Optics•Sep 29, 2016•8 citations
Abstract Light guided by an optical nanofibre has a very steep evanescent field gradient extending from the fibre surface. This gradient can be exploited to drive electric quadrupole transitions in nearby quantum emitters. In this paper, we report on the observation of the 5S1/2 → 4D3/2 electric quadrupole transition at 516.6 nm (in vacuum) in laser-cooled 87Rb atoms using only a few μW of laser power propagating through an optical nanofibre embedded in the atom cloud. This work extends the range of applications for optical nanofibres in atomic physics to include more fundamental tests such as high-precision measurements of parity non-conservation.
Abstract We evaluate the rate of the absorption of an optical nanofibre mode by a Cs atom in an electric quadrupole transition. With the Cs atom localised near the outer surface of the optical nano-fibre, an interaction occurs between the atomic quadrupole tensor components and the gradients of the vector components of the electric field of a hybrid fibre mode. The absorption rate is evaluated as a function of the radial position of the atom from the fibre axis, assuming a specific value of the laser power and we use experimentally accessible parameters. We find that the absorption of the hybrid modes by the Cs atom decreases as the atom recedes away from the fibre axis and it formally vanishes at sufficiently large radial distances. Close to the fibre, however, the absorption rate for the input power chosen can be two orders of magnitude larger than the quadrupole de-excitation rate despite the moderate power used.
Optical nanofibres are used to confine light to sub-wavelength regions and are very promising tools for the development of optical fibre-based quantum networks using cold, neutral atoms. To date, experimental studies on atoms near nanofibres have focussed on fundamental fibre mode interactions. In this work, we demonstrate the integration of a few-mode optical nanofibre into a magneto-optical trap for 87 Rb atoms. The nanofibre, with a waist diameter of ∼700 nm, supports both the fundamental and first group of higher order modes (HOMs) and is used for atomic fluorescence and absorption studies. In general, light propagating in higher order fibre modes has a greater evanescent field extension around the waist in comparison with the fundamental mode. By exploiting this behaviour, we demonstrate that the detected signal of fluorescent photons emitted from a cloud of cold atoms centred at the nanofibre waist is larger if HOMs are also included. In particular, the signal from HOMs appears to be about six times larger than that obtained for the fundamental mode. Absorption of on-resonance, HOM probe light by the laser-cooled atoms is also observed. These advances should facilitate the realization of atom trapping schemes based on HOM interference.
Photonics platforms combining laser-cooled atoms with optical nanofibres facilitate strong light–matter interactions across the classical and quantum regimes. The subwavelength confinement of the fibre-guided modes produces a large evanescent field, allowing efficient coupling of light to nearby atoms. We investigate atom-mediated processes in nanofibre-based platforms, with particular focus on Rydberg excitation of cold 87 Rb in close proximity to a dielectric. We identify key limitations to excitation efficiency and discuss alternative trapping strategies to overcome these effects.
We propose an optical dipole trap for cold, neutral atoms based on the electric field produced from the evanescent fields in a hollow, rectangular slot cut through an optical nanofibre. In particular, we discuss the trap performance in relation to laser-cooled rubidium atoms and show that a far off-resonance, blue-detuned field combined with the attractive surface-atom interaction potential from the dielectric material forms a stable trapping configuration. With the addition of a red-detuned field, we demonstrate how three dimensional confinement of the atoms at a distance of 140–200 nm from the fibre surface within the slot can be accomplished. This scheme facilitates optical coupling between the atoms and the nanofibre that could be exploited for quantum communication schemes using ensembles of laser-cooled atoms.
We propose an optical dipole trap for cold neutral atoms based on the electric field produced from the evanescent fields in a hollow rectangular slot cut through an optical nanofibre. In particular, we discuss the trap performance in relation to laser-cooled rubidium atoms and show that a far off-resonance, blue-detuned field combined with the attractive surface-atom interaction potential from the dielectric material forms a stable trapping configuration. With the addition of a red-detuned field, we demonstrate how three dimensional confinement of the atoms at a distance of 140 - 200 nm from the fibre surface within the slot can be accomplished. This scheme facilitates optical coupling between the atoms and the nanofibre that could be exploited for quantum communication schemes using ensembles of laser-cooled atoms.
Optical nanofibres are ultrathin optical fibres with a waist diameter typically less than the wavelength of light being guided through them. Cold atoms can couple to the evanescent field of the nanofibre-guided modes and such systems are emerging as promising technologies for the development of atom-photon hybrid quantum devices. Atoms within the evanescent field region of an optical nanofibre can be probed by sending near or on-resonant light through the fibre; however, the probe light can detrimentally affect the properties of the atoms. In this paper, we report on the modification of the local temperature of laser-cooled 87 Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap centred around an optical nanofibre when near-resonant probe light propagates through it. A transient absorption technique has been used to measure the temperature of the affected atoms and temperature variations from 160 μ k to 850 μ k, for a probe power ranging from 0 to 50 nW, have been observed. This effect could have implications in relation to using optical nanofibres for probing and manipulating cold or ultracold atoms.