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Diffraction of atoms from optical potentials

Tilman Pfau, A. Schnetz, Charles S. Adams, Christian Kurtsiefer, M. Sigel, J. Mlynek

Published Jan 1, 1994• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In the first part of this article we attempt to provide a very brief introduction to atom optics. In the second part we report on a recent experiment in our group on an atom-optical element that may be useful in atom interferometers and atom cavities: the demonstration of a new beam splitter based on the diffraction of atomic matter waves from a "magneto-optical grating".

DOI
10.18419/opus-7057

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In the first part of this article we attempt to provide a very brief introduction to atom optics. In the second part we report on a recent experiment in our group on an atom-optical element that may be useful in atom interferometers and atom cavities: the demonstration of a new beam splitter based on the diffraction of atomic matter waves from a "magneto-optical grating".
We report an experimental demonstration of diffraction of He∗{\mathrm{He}}^{\mathrm{*}}He∗ atoms from a magneto-optical grating. The grating was produced by the interaction of three-level atoms with a light field of spatially varying polarization and a magnetic field. For a light shift matched to the Zeeman shift, a two-peaked diffraction pattern was observed, corresponding to a momentum splitting of 42\ensuremath{\Elzxh}k. The effect of changing the polarizations of the light field was investigated. The diffraction from the magneto-optical grating is compared directly with the diffraction of two-level atoms from a standing light wave and it is shown, that the magneto-optical interaction leads to more efficient coupling into high order momentum states.
Atom optics has seen fast development and vast achievements,and has wide application prospects.The basic principles of the manipulation and control of cold atoms using magnetic and laser fields are briefly introduced,followed by a detailed review of recent progress of geometric and wave atom optics as well as potential applications and the development of atom optics devices Topics include the reflection of atom beams and mirrors,the deflection(refraction) and focusing of atom beams and lenses,the diffraction of atom matter waves and gratings,atom interferometers,and atomic holography.
Abstract : An atom interferometer is constructed in which the atom waves are physically separated prior to being recombined. Fabricated transmission gratings are used as optical elements for the matter waves. Atom interferometers should be useful in studies of atomic properties, tests of basic quantum physics, for metrology, as rotation sensors, and perhaps ultimately as devices to make ultra- small structures using atom holograms. During the last year our atom interferometer has evolved from a rough plan to an essentially complete device. At present all the major components of the interferometer have been built, and tested at least once. The system will be given its first real try in the next year. Our interferometer consists of three 0.2 microns - period diffraction gratings equally spaced approx. 0.65 m apart in our atomic beam machine. The maximum separation of the beams will be approx. 60 microns. The first two gratings separate and redirect the atomic beam forming a standing wave interference pattern in the atomic flux at the third grating, which acts like a mask to sample this pattern. A principle technical obstacle is the mechanical vibrations of our machine which will blur the interference pattern.
The key elements for atom interferometers are atomic beam splitters and recombiners. An atomic beam splitter separates a single atomic wave function into a superposition state corresponding to two center of mass wavepackets that propagate in different spatial directions and a recombiner reunites the atomic beams. We report here on the investigation of 1) an atomic beam splitter with large separation angle based on the optical Stern Gerlach effect, 2) an atomic mirror based on the reflection of atoms by different types of evanescent waves (a simple evanescent wave and a surface plasmon wave), 3) an atomic beam splitter realized by the partial spatial reflection of an atom by an evanescent wave and 4) diffraction of atoms by a standing evanescent wave.
A few years ago, diffraction of atoms by double slits and gratings was achieved for the first time, and standard optical wave-theory provided an excellent description of the experiments. More recently, diffraction of weakly bound molecules and even clusters has been observed. Due to their size and to possible breakup processes optical wave-theory is no longer adequate and a more sophisticated approach is needed. Moreover, surface effects, which can modify the diffraction pattern of atoms and molecules, give rise to further complications. In this article a fully quantum mechanical approach to these questions is discussed.
Optical interference is proof of the wave nature of light and matter–wave interferometers have also been shown to work for electrons and neutrons (by exploiting the de Broglie wavelength of the particles). Now a working interferometer for atoms has been demonstrated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) for the first time, in the sense that it uses “atomic beam splitters” to separate and recombine atomic beams (David W Keith et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. (1991) 66 2693). A simpler experiment at Konstanz University, Germany (O Carnal and J Mlynek Phys. Rev. Lett. (1991) 66 2689) has also demonstrated interference phenomena in atomic beams but a detailed description of the apparatus is not yet published. Atom interferometers will some day be useful in precision metrology, mass tomography, precision gyroscopes, general relativity, fundamental quantum mechanics and atomic physics.