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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Low Light-Level Two-Photon Absorption using Tapered Optical Fibers in Rubidium Vapor

Meimei Lai, S. M. Hendrickson, T. B. Pittman, J. D. Franson

Published Jan 1, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe an experimental observation of two-photon absorption with ultralow power levels of less than 150 nanoWatts. The experiment involves the use of sub-wavelength diameter tapered optical fibers suspended in rubidium vapor.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_at.2011.jthb70

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We present an experimental approach to study low light level absorption in a tapered optical fiber embedded in a rubidium atomic vapor medium. Our initial measurements demonstrates the potential of the system to realize extremely low light level quantum interference effects in the ultra small mode volume of the thin fiber, which is promising for many practical integrated device applications. The measurement shows saturated probe absorption using a low optical power of only ten nanowatt. Efforts are underway to use the fiber in a cloud of trapped rubidium atoms, which will circumvent the transit time limit for demonstrating a low photon optical switch via quantum interference.