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arXiv:2507.23352 · Journal of Applied Physics

Two-mode and dual-resonant planar photonic waveguides for efficient guiding and trapping of atoms

Yuri B. Ovchinnikov

Published Oct 22, 2025• 3 citations
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Abstract

The trapping of ultra-cold atoms using two-color evanescent light waves formed by propagating modes of suspended optical rib waveguides is modeled in different configurations. Reducing the anisotropy of the two-color evanescent optical dipole potential requires two laser light components with a large frequency difference. The upper frequency is guided in the two lowest transverse waveguide modes, and the lower frequency propagates in a single-mode regime. This increases the depth of the dipole potential in the lateral direction. An additional increase in the optical dipole potential can be achieved by tuning the frequencies of the two modes to two different atomic transitions. When applied to rubidium, the total depth of the corresponding surface optical dipole traps can reach 0.3 mK or greater under reasonable conditions.

DOI
10.1063/5.0296003

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The trapping of ultra-cold atoms using two-color evanescent light waves formed by propagating modes of suspended optical rib waveguides is modeled in different configurations. Reducing the anisotropy of the two-color evanescent optical dipole potential requires two laser light components with a large frequency difference. The upper frequency is guided in the two lowest transverse waveguide modes, and the lower frequency propagates in a single-mode regime. This increases the depth of the dipole potential in the lateral direction. An additional increase in the optical dipole potential can be achieved by tuning the frequencies of the two modes to two different atomic transitions. When applied to rubidium, the total depth of the corresponding surface optical dipole traps can reach 0.3 mK or greater under reasonable conditions.
We analyze evanescent fields of laser written waveguides and show that they can be used to trap atoms close to the surface of an integrated optical atom chip. In contrast to subwavelength nanofibres it is generally not possible to create a stable trapping potential using only the fundamental modes. This is why we create a stable trapping potential by using two different laser colors, such that the waveguide supports two modes for the blue detuned laser, while for the red detuned light the waveguide has only a single mode. In particular, we study such a two-color trap for Cesium atoms, and calculate both the potential and losses for the set of parameters that are within experimental reach. We also optimize system parameters in order to minimize trap losses due to photon scattering and tunneling to the surface.
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.
We propose a dipole-force linear waveguide which confines neutral atoms up to $\ensuremath{\lambda}/2$ above a microfabricated single-mode dielectric optical guide. The optical guide carries far blue-detuned light in the horizontally-polarized TE mode and far red-detuned light in the vertically-polarized TM mode, with both modes close to optical cut-off. A trapping minimum in the transverse plane is formed above the optical guide due to the differing evanescent decay lengths of the two modes. This design allows manufacture of mechanically stable atom-optical elements on a substrate. We calculate the full vector bound modes for an arbitrary guide shape using two-dimensional non-uniform finite elements in the frequency-domain, allowing us to optimize atom waveguide properties. We find that a rectangular optical guide of $0.8\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ by $0.2\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ carrying 6 mW of total laser power (detuning $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15\mathrm{nm}$ about the D2D2D2 line) gives a trap depth of $200\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ for cesium atoms (mF=0),{(m}_{F}=0),(mF​=0), transverse oscillation frequencies of fx=40kHz{f}_{x}=40\mathrm{kHz}fx​=40kHz and fy=160kHz,{f}_{y}=160\mathrm{kHz},fy​=160kHz, collection area $\ensuremath{\sim}1\ensuremath{\mu}{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ and coherence time of 9 ms. We discuss the effects of non-zero mF,{m}_{F},mF​, the D1D1D1 line, surface interactions, heating rate, the substrate refractive index, and the limits on waveguide bending radius.
An integrated optical dipole trap uses two-color (red and blue-detuned) traveling evanescent wave fields for trapping cold neutral atoms. To achieve longitudinal confinement, we propose using an integrated optical waveguide coupler, which provides a potential gradient along the beam propagation direction sufficient to confine atoms. This integrated optical dipole trap can support an atomic ensemble with a large optical depth due to its small mode area. Its quasi- TE 0 waveguide mode has an advantage over the HE 11 mode of a nanofiber, with little inhomogeneous Zeeman broadening at the trapping region. The longitudinal confinement eliminates the need for a one dimensional optical lattice, reducing collisional blockaded atomic loading, potentially producing larger ensembles. The waveguide trap allows for scalability and integrability with nano-fabrication technology. We analyze the potential performance of such integrated atom traps.
We suggest using a two-color evanescent light field around a subwavelength-diameter fiber to trap and guide atoms. The optical fiber carries a red-detuned light and a blue-detuned light, with both modes far from resonance. When both input light fields are circularly polarized, a set of trapping minima of the total potential in the transverse plane is formed as a ring around the fiber. This design allows confinement of atoms to a cylindrical shell around the fiber. When one or both of the input light fields are linearly polarized, the total potential has two local minimum points in the transverse plane. This design allows confinement of atoms to two straight lines parallel to the fiber axis. Due to the small thickness of the fiber, we can use far-off-resonance fields with substantially differing evanescent decay lengths to produce a net potential with a large depth, a large coherence time, and a large trap lifetime. For example, a 0.2-\ensuremath{\mu}m-radius silica fiber carrying 30 mW of 1.06-\ensuremath{\mu}m-wavelength light and 29 mW of 700-nm-wavelength light, both fields circularly polarized at the input, gives for cesium atoms a trap depth of 2.9 mK, a coherence time of 32 ms, and a recoil-heating-limited trap lifetime of 541 s.