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Optik & Photonik

Fiber optics for laser cooling and trapping

Christian Knothe, Ulrich Oechsner

Published May 1, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Over the last two decades, the interest in the investigation of atoms at ultralow temperatures has increased substantially, as is reflected in the number of Nobel prizes awarded during this time. The major focus has shifted from primarily cooling down atoms as close as possible to absolute zero and towards the experimental investigation of these already cooled atoms. Fiber‐optical components designed for the accomplishment of these goals assist researchers all over the world in concentrating their experimental effort on their endeavours with ultra‐cold atoms.

DOI
10.1002/opph.201190332

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Abstract Over the last two decades, the interest in the investigation of atoms at ultralow temperatures has increased substantially, as is reflected in the number of Nobel prizes awarded during this time. The major focus has shifted from primarily cooling down atoms as close as possible to absolute zero and towards the experimental investigation of these already cooled atoms. Fiber‐optical components designed for the accomplishment of these goals assist researchers all over the world in concentrating their experimental effort on their endeavours with ultra‐cold atoms.
Of the many application of lasers, the one with possibly the most dramatic impact on fundamental physics is laser cooling and trapping: the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded for laser cooling in 1997 [1]. The staggering progress achieved by laser cooling is reflected by considering a thought experiment that begins ‘take an atom. . . ’. Such an experiment was impossible to realize in practice because room temperature atoms move at supersonic speeds and, as atoms are neutral, there was no easy way to grab hold of them. Laser cooling allows one to obtain samples of atoms essentially at rest, with temperatures in the microKelvin region being routine. At such low temperatures, it becomes easy to trap or move atoms with modest electromagnetic forces [2, 3] and a whole new class of experiments previously confined to the realm of fantasy becomes possible. For example, one can throw atoms upwards and use precision spectroscopy to measure time or gravity with unprecedented accuracy. One can place atoms at a desired location on a surface creating a novel lithographic technique or place an atom just above the surface to create a qubit in a quantum information processor. One can take many atoms and cool them further by evaporation to form a Bose-Einstein condensate [4] or degenerate Fermi gas. This last development has propelled atomic and optical physics right into the heart of condensed matter physics and resulted in the award of the Nobel Prize in 2001.
The past few years have seen remarkable developments in the ability to control atomic motion by optical techniques. Among the key tools that have been developed for this purpose are the techniques of laser cooling, the significance of which was recognized by the award of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics to Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, and William Phillips. These techniques have made it possible to cool atoms to temperatures lower than have been produced in any other physical system - around 10(-8) degrees Kelvin above absolute zero - and to confine those in traps for extended periods of observation.
This conclusion presents some closing remarks on the concepts discussed in the book. Nowadays by using the mechanical forces exerted on atoms by light it is possible to achieve both cooling and trapping of atoms. The minimum temperature of atoms in laser cooling experiment and maximum density of atoms in the atomic traps permit to orient the latest research works towards ambitious goals as a realization of Bose-Einstein condensation of cold atoms, atomic interferometry, improvement of atomic clock. Another interesting possibility of using light pressure forces is the development of a new kind of optics — the optics of neutral atomic beams. This book has discussed a number of recent experiments which have demonstrated the possibility to develop several elements of this optics: atom optics with laser light. .
The development of laser cooling has an important impact on many aspects of atomic physics and quantum optics. The efforts to understand the various types of force exerted on atoms by laser light have led to some interesting physics and it is now possible for extremely cold clouds of atoms to be produced, which can be confined in atom traps or formed into very monoenergetic atomic beams. There are many new possibilities to explore in this ultra-cold regime where quantum effects are significant, in addition to the potential for great improvements in precision measurements made by r.f. and laser spectroscopy.
When the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, William D. Philipps and Steven Chu in 1997 for the development of methods for cooling and trapping atoms using lasers, this was the reward for two decades of investigations not only touching upon the fundamental aspects of the light–matter interaction, but also leading to a range of applications. On the theoretical level, the advent of this field of research in the late 1970s stimulated the development of various theoretical methods for describing the radiative forces by which light affects the motion of atoms. On the experimental level, judicious use of the radiative forces exerted by lasers made it possible to obtain a drastic reduction of atomic velocities – in other words, to cool an atomic vapour. These advances were characterized by a remarkable cross-fertilization of theoretical and experimental innovations. It was not long before applications began to appear in the field of high-resolution spectroscopy, since ultracold, i.e. slow, atoms can be observed for longer periods, and this allows greater accuracy when measuring atomic resonance frequencies than could be obtained for atoms at room temperature. Based on such resonances, the most accurate clocks in the world use laser-cooled atoms or ions. Atom interferometry is another application of laser manipulation of atoms, which can be applied to measure inertial effects, due for example to the rotation of the Earth or the motion of a vehicle, with an accuracy that already exceeds traditional methods.