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arXiv:2110.03622 · Applied Physics Letters

A perspective on integrated atomo-photonic waveguide circuits

Yuri B. Ovchinnikov

Published Jan 3, 2022• 14 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Integrated photonic circuits based on suspended photonic rib waveguides, which can be used for coherent trapping, guiding, and splitting of ultra-cold neutral atoms in two-color evanescent light fields near their surfaces, are described. Configurations of quantum inertial sensors based on such integrated atomo-photonic waveguides, which are simultaneously guiding photons and atoms along the same paths, are presented. The difference between free-space and guided atom interferometers in the presence of external forces is explained. The theoretical and technological challenges, to be overcome on the way to the realization of such a platform for quantum technologies, are discussed.

DOI
10.1063/5.0069334

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We theoretically investigate three approaches to trapping atoms above linear integrated optical waveguides. A two- color scheme balances the decaying evanescent elds of red- and blue-detuned light to produce a potential minimum above the guide. A one-color surface trap proposal uses blue-detuned light and the attractive surface interaction to provide a potential minimum. A third proposal uses blue-detuned light in two guides positioned above and below one another. The atoms are con ned to the \dark" spot in the vacuum gap between the guides. We nd that all three approaches can be used in principle to trap atoms in two- or three-dimensions with a few 10's of mW of laser power. Of these three methods, we show that the dark spot guide is the most robust to power fluctuations and provides the most viable design approach to constructing integrated optical circuits that could transport and manipulate atoms in a controlled manner.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Apr 12, 2001•0 citations
Integrated photonic circuits based on suspended photonic rib waveguides, which can be used for coherent trapping, guiding, and splitting of ultra-cold neutral atoms in two-color evanescent light fields near their surfaces, are described. Configurations of quantum inertial sensors based on such integrated atomo-photonic waveguides, which are simultaneously guiding photons and atoms along the same paths, are presented. The difference between free-space and guided atom interferometers in the presence of external forces is explained. The theoretical and technological challenges, to be overcome on the way to the realization of such a platform for quantum technologies, are discussed.
Abstract Coherent guiding of atoms in two-colour evanescent light fields of two fundamental modes of suspended optical rib waveguides is investigated theoretically. Special attention is paid to waveguides of widths larger than the wavelength of light, which provide better lateral stability of the surface traps and waveguides, and can be used in coherent Bragg beam splitters for matter waves, based on optical gratings formed by interference of evanescent light waves of two crossed optical waveguides. A single-mode regime for evanescent-wave waveguides for atoms is investigated. The general structure and key elements of all-optical atom chips are discussed.
Integrated optical structures offer the intriguing potential of compact, reproducible waveguide arrays, rings, Y junctions, etc., that could be used to design evanescent field traps to transport, store, and interact atoms in networks as complicated as any integrated optical waveguide circuit. We theoretically investigate three approaches to trapping atoms above linear integrated optical waveguides. A two-color scheme balances the decaying evanescent fields of red- and blue-detuned light to produce a potential minimum above the guide. A one-color surface trap proposal uses blue-detuned light and the attractive surface interaction to provide a potential minimum. A third proposal uses blue-detuned light in two guides positioned above and below one another. The atoms are confined to the ``dark'' spot in the vacuum gap between the guides. We find that all three approaches can be used to trap atoms in two or three dimensions with approximately 100 mW of laser power. We show that the dark spot guide is robust to light scatter and provides the most viable approach for constructing integrated optical circuits that could be used to transport and manipulate atoms in a controlled manner.
Photonic circuits are becoming very promising in many different applications, such as optical amplification, optical switching and wavelength division multiplexing optical networks, lab-on-chip in bioengineering, atom-light interaction in quantum information processing, wavelength selecting and filtering in astronomy, etc. Thanks to major developments in the nanofabrication technology, smaller but more powerful photonic circuits can be made to realize more complex applications. Here we propose two on-chip photonic circuits: one is for atom-light interaction in quantum information, and the other is for an optical spectrometer in astronomy. Part I The atom-light interaction can be used for a number of quantum based application, such as quantum information processing and atomic sensing. These significant applications make atom-light interaction a strong candidate for next-generation quantum computers and ultraprecise magnetic or navigation sensors. People have proposed various types of atom-photon interaction, and enhancing the interaction by using a small mode area has also been demonstrated in several platforms such as a hollow-core fiber, a hollow-core waveguide, a tapered fiber, and a nanowaveguide. In our work, we propose a nanowaveguide platform for collective atom-light interaction through the evanescent optical field coupling. We have demonstrated a centimeter-long silicon nitride nanowaveguide that has a sub-micrometer mode area and high fiber-to-waveguide coupling efficiencies for near-infrared wavelengths, working as evanescent field atom trapping/probing of an ensemble of 87Rb atoms. Inverse tapers are made at both ends of the waveguide that adiabatically transfer the weakly guided fiber-coupled mode to a strongly guided mode with an evanescent field for a better fiber-waveguide coupling efficiency. The coupling efficiency improves from around 2% to around 80% for both wavelengths. Trapping atoms by nanowaveguide modes is challenging because the small mode area generates high heat flux at the waveguide in an ultra-high vacuum. This platform has good thermal conductance and could transfer high enough optical powers to trap atoms in an ultra-high vacuum compared to a standalone photonic crystal waveguide with no substrate or an evanescent field coupled with a nanofiber. We have experimentally measured the optical absorption of thermal 87Rb atoms through the guided waveguide mode. We have also demonstrated an atom-chip mirror MOT with the same dimension of the platform that can be transferred to the proximity of the surface by magnetic field controls. Part II In astronomical applications, wavelength analysis is very important especially for the wavelength selecting and filtering. Here we focus on the wavelength range from 1µm to 1.7µm. There are many valuable applications that make this near infrared wavelength range so important. For example, the Lyman-alpha line of hydrogen is one of the very important emission lines of hydrogen for understanding the origin and creation of the universe. Since the universe has expanded for more than 10 billion years after the big bang, the Lyman-alpha line of hydrogen has redshifted from 121.5nm to the 1µm-to-1.7µm wavelength range according to Hubble’s Law. In addition, analysis of this wavelength range can also help us understand many other cosmic phenomena such as quasars, Gamma-ray bursts, etc. Therefore, a good spectrometer is needed to achieve this. Here we present an echelle grating which is based on an on-chip spectrometer that covers the near infrared wavelength range from 1.45um to 1.7um. To begin with, we use optical waveguides as the input and output channels. We have successfully achieved a reliable fabrication process to make the on-chip echelle-grating spectrometer. We have also achieved high fiber-waveguide coupling efficiency (94% per facet at 1550nm) and low propagation loss (-0.975dB/cm at 1550nm) for the input and output waveguides. In addition, we have characterized the bending loss of the waveguide. Finally, we have successfully measured the output spectrum of the echelle grating we designed and found it to be in good agreement with our simulation.
The deterministic control of light-matter interactions at the level of single particles and on subwavelength scales is central to quantum optics and hybrid integrated quantum technologies. However, combining cold atom research with nanophotonic devices in a fully controllable platform remains a major experimental challenge. Here, we demonstrate the deterministic coupling of an ultracold atomic lattice to light propagating in suspended on-chip photonic circuits. These capabilities open avenues to address scalability challenges in neutral-atom quantum computers and simulators, enabling fast optical readout, efficient and subwavelength non-diffracting interaction zones, and genuine compatibility with integrated solid-state photon sources, detectors, and stop-band modulators. Beyond controllable quantum matter, the platform also enables in-situ imaging of evanescent fields of light and nanoscale structures, including prospects for three-dimensional scanning microscopy with non-invasive single-atom probes for quantum sensing applications.
Summary form only given. Just as optical waveguides play a central role in many aspects of modern optics, from communications to integrated optics, atom waveguides are likely to be an enabling technology for future atom-optics-based science. In particular, well-characterized atom waveguides may make possible inertial and rotation measurements of exquisite sensitivity via large-enclosed-area atom interferometers. The first guides for atoms were based on optical forces, where hollow glass fibers guide light, and the light in turn guides atoms. In this paper we have guided neutral atoms using photolithographically patterned current-carrying wires in two different configurations.
We theoretically investigate three approaches to trapping atoms above linear integrated optical waveguides. A two- color scheme balances the decaying evanescent elds of red- and blue-detuned light to produce a potential minimum above the guide. A one-color surface trap proposal uses blue-detuned light and the attractive surface interaction to provide a potential minimum. A third proposal uses blue-detuned light in two guides positioned above and below one another. The atoms are con ned to the \dark" spot in the vacuum gap between the guides. We nd that all three approaches can be used in principle to trap atoms in two- or three-dimensions with a few 10's of mW of laser power. Of these three methods, we show that the dark spot guide is the most robust to power fluctuations and provides the most viable design approach to constructing integrated optical circuits that could transport and manipulate atoms in a controlled manner.