© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

The neutral atom valve

Han Pu, S. Lee, Paul Rudy, N. P. Bigelow

Published Jun 7, 1996• 0 citations

Abstract

Summary form only given. As the techniques for cooling and trapping atoms have advanced, so has the interest in new techniques for guiding atoms from one point in space to another. One particularly novel idea is to construct a hollow optical fiber through which atoms can be guided, with the aid of a laser beam, providing a sort of flexible atom hose. This type of device is attractive because it can be used to transport individual atoms conveniently from one part of apparatus to another, much as is done with light transported through solid core optical fibers. Recently, one such atom hose was demonstrated in the laboratory. In this experiment laser light was used to guide the atoms through the small glass tube created by the fiber. However, no convenient method for turning off and on such flow has either been proposed or demonstrated. In this paper we describe our use of laser light to control, in a state selective manner, the ballistic flow of atoms through a commercial glass capillary and therefore our realization of a neutral atom valve.

Related papers

Atom hoses

D. Z. Anderson, Michael J. Renn, Elizabeth A. Donley +3 more

Summary form only given. We use optical dipole forces to guide neutral rubidium atoms through hollowcore optical fibers. In one configuration, light copropagates in the circular hollow region as a grazing incidence mode. Atoms are attracted to the high intensity region of a beam detuned to the red of rubidium's D2 resonance lines and are thus kept away from the fiber's walls. In a second configuration, light is guided in the annular glass region and it is the evanescent field of this light that repels the atoms from the fiber walls when the light is tuned to the blue side of atomic resonance.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jan 1, 1996•0 citations

Laser-Guided Atoms in Hollow-Core Optical Fibers

Michael J. Renn, Don Montgomery, O. Vdovin +3 more

We have used optical forces to guide atoms through hollow-core optical fibers. Laser light is launched into the hollow region of a glass capillary fiber and guided by grazing-incidence reflection from the walls. When the laser is detuned 1--30 GHz red of the Rb D2 resonance lines, dipole forces attract atoms to the high-intensity region along the axis and guide them through the fiber. We show that atoms may be guided around bends in the fiber and that in initial experiments the atoms experience up to 18 reflections from the potential walls with minimal loss.

Physical Review Letters•Oct 30, 1995•307 citations

Evanescent-wave guiding of atoms in hollow optical fibers

Michael J. Renn, Elizabeth A. Donley, Eric Cornell +2 more

We use evanescent laser light to guide atoms through hollow-core optical fibers. The light, detuned to the blue side of rubidium's ${D}_{2}$ resonance lines, is launched into the glass region of a hollow capillary fiber and guided through the fiber by total internal reflection from the glass walls. Atoms interacting with the evanescent component of the field are repelled from the wall and guided through the fiber hollow. A second laser tuned to the red side of resonance is used to initially inject the atoms into the evanescent guide. An optical intensity threshold for guiding is observed as the evanescent-field-induced dipole forces exceed the van der Waals forces.

Physical Review A•Feb 1, 1996•148 citations

Hollow-fiber evanescent light-wave atom-bottle trap

Jonathan P. Dowling

Recent theoretical and experimental demonstrations have shown that blue-detuned laser light, propagating in the annular core-cladding region of a hollow-glass fiber, produces a repulsive, evanescent light-wave potential in the hollow, that can be used to guide near-resonant atoms down the fiber. In this work, I show that slight modifications to the hollow-fiber geometry can be used to turn this atom guide into an atom-bottle trap. The trap can be open and shut by varying the aperture angle at which light couples into the fiber, allowing the atoms to be easily loaded. This trap has an advantage over other optical atom traps in that the atoms move coherently in a field-free region with only brief specular reflections at the step-like potential walls.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 1, 1997•2 citations

LASER GUIDING OF NEUTRAL ATOMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Jian She Hu

The principle,methods and experimental progress of reddetuned laser guiding o f neutral atoms in hollow optical fibers and in Gussian laser beams are reviewed , as well as the bluedetuned evanescentwave guiding of atoms in hollow fiber s, and bluedetuned laser guiding of atoms in dark hollow beams. The potential applications of atomic guiding techniques in atom optics are briefly discussed.

•Jan 1, 2001•0 citations

Hollow-fiber, Evanescent Light-wave, Atom-bottle Trap

Jonathan P. Dowling

Recent theoretical and experimental demonstrations have shown that blue-detuned laser light, propagating in the annular core-cladding region of a hollow-glass fiber, produces a repulsive, evanescent light-wave potential in the hollow that can be used to guide near-resonant atoms down the fiber.1–4 In this work I show that slight modifications to the hollow-fiber geometry can be used to turn this atom guide into an atom-bottle trap.5-6 The trap can be opened and shut by varying the aperture angle at which light couples into the fiber, allowing the atoms to be easily loaded. This trap has an advantage over other optical atom traps in that the atoms move coherently in a field-free region with only brief specular reflections at the step-like potential walls.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•May 18, 1997•0 citations

Summary form only given. As the techniques for cooling and trapping atoms have advanced, so has the interest in new techniques for guiding atoms from one point in space to another. One particularly novel idea is to construct a hollow optical fiber through which atoms can be guided, with the aid of a laser beam, providing a sort of flexible atom hose. This type of device is attractive because it can be used to transport individual atoms conveniently from one part of apparatus to another, much as is done with light transported through solid core optical fibers. Recently, one such atom hose was demonstrated in the laboratory. In this experiment laser light was used to guide the atoms through the small glass tube created by the fiber. However, no convenient method for turning off and on such flow has either been proposed or demonstrated. In this paper we describe our use of laser light to control, in a state selective manner, the ballistic flow of atoms through a commercial glass capillary and therefore our realization of a neutral atom valve.

Summary form only given. We use optical dipole forces to guide neutral rubidium atoms through hollowcore optical fibers. In one configuration, light copropagates in the circular hollow region as a grazing incidence mode. Atoms are attracted to the high intensity region of a beam detuned to the red of rubidium's D2 resonance lines and are thus kept away from the fiber's walls. In a second configuration, light is guided in the annular glass region and it is the evanescent field of this light that repels the atoms from the fiber walls when the light is tuned to the blue side of atomic resonance.

We have used optical forces to guide atoms through hollow-core optical fibers. Laser light is launched into the hollow region of a glass capillary fiber and guided by grazing-incidence reflection from the walls. When the laser is detuned 1--30 GHz red of the Rb D2 resonance lines, dipole forces attract atoms to the high-intensity region along the axis and guide them through the fiber. We show that atoms may be guided around bends in the fiber and that in initial experiments the atoms experience up to 18 reflections from the potential walls with minimal loss.

We use evanescent laser light to guide atoms through hollow-core optical fibers. The light, detuned to the blue side of rubidium's

{D}_{2}

resonance lines, is launched into the glass region of a hollow capillary fiber and guided through the fiber by total internal reflection from the glass walls. Atoms interacting with the evanescent component of the field are repelled from the wall and guided through the fiber hollow. A second laser tuned to the red side of resonance is used to initially inject the atoms into the evanescent guide. An optical intensity threshold for guiding is observed as the evanescent-field-induced dipole forces exceed the van der Waals forces.

Recent theoretical and experimental demonstrations have shown that blue-detuned laser light, propagating in the annular core-cladding region of a hollow-glass fiber, produces a repulsive, evanescent light-wave potential in the hollow, that can be used to guide near-resonant atoms down the fiber. In this work, I show that slight modifications to the hollow-fiber geometry can be used to turn this atom guide into an atom-bottle trap. The trap can be open and shut by varying the aperture angle at which light couples into the fiber, allowing the atoms to be easily loaded. This trap has an advantage over other optical atom traps in that the atoms move coherently in a field-free region with only brief specular reflections at the step-like potential walls.

Recent theoretical and experimental demonstrations have shown that blue-detuned laser light, propagating in the annular core-cladding region of a hollow-glass fiber, produces a repulsive, evanescent light-wave potential in the hollow that can be used to guide near-resonant atoms down the fiber.1–4 In this work I show that slight modifications to the hollow-fiber geometry can be used to turn this atom guide into an atom-bottle trap.5-6 The trap can be opened and shut by varying the aperture angle at which light couples into the fiber, allowing the atoms to be easily loaded. This trap has an advantage over other optical atom traps in that the atoms move coherently in a field-free region with only brief specular reflections at the step-like potential walls.