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Frontiers in Optics

Near-field trap for submicron particles and cold, neutral atoms using rectangular etched cavities in optical nanofibers

Mark Daly, Viet Giang Truong, C. F. Phelan, Síle Nic Chormaic

Published Jan 1, 2013• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We present a new scheme which seeks to combine tapered optical fibers with near-field optical techniques to create a single device capable of trapping neutral atoms and submicron particles using nanostructuring of the optical fiber.
DOI
10.1364/fio.2013.fth1d.5

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Optical micro- and nanofibers have recently gained popularity as tools in quantum engineering using laser-cooled, neutral atoms. In particular, atoms can be trapped around such optical fibers, and photons coupled into the fibers from the surrounding atoms could be used to transfer quantum state information within the system. It has also been demonstrated that such fibers can be used to manipulate and trap silica and polystyrene particles in the 1-3 μm range. We recently proposed using a focused ion beam nanostructured tapered optical fiber for improved atom trapping geometries1. Here, we present details on the design and fabrication of these nanostructured optical fibers and their integration into particle trapping platforms for the demonstration of submicron particle trapping. The optical fibers are tapered to approximately 1-2 μm waist diameters, using a custom-built, heat-and-pull fiber rig, prior to processing using a focused ion beam. Slots of about 300 nm in width and 10-20 μm in length are milled right though the waist regions of the tapered optical fibers. Details on the fabrication steeps necessary to ensure high optical transmission though the fiber post processing are included. Fiber transmissions of over 80% over a broad range of wavelengths, in the 700-11100 nm range, are attainable. We also present simulation results on the impact of varying the slot parameters on the trap depths achievable and milling multiple traps within a single tapered fiber. This work demonstrates even further the functionality of optical micro- and nanofibers as trapping devices across a range of regimes.
The use of tapered optical fibers, i.e., optical nanofibers, for spectroscopy and the detection of small numbers of particles, such as neutral atoms or molecules, has been gaining interest in recent years. In this review, we briefly introduce the optical nanofiber, its fabrication, and optical mode propagation within. We discuss recent progress on the integration of optical nanofibers into laser-cooled atom and vapor systems, paying particular attention to spectroscopy, cold atom cloud characterization, and optical trapping schemes. Next, a natural extension of this work to molecules is introduced. Finally, we consider several alternatives to optical nanofibers that display some advantages for specific applications.
Optical nanofibers – very thin, tapered optical fibers where the waist diameter is less than the propagating light wavelength – have been shown to be very useful tools for atom-light interactions. Their small size and relative ease of integration into optical fiber-based experimental setups, in addition to their minimal perturbation on magneto-optically trapped cold atoms, have ensured their adoption into cold atom physics. Here, we will discuss some recent applications of optical nanofibers to manipulate, trap, and control cold 87Rb atoms in ground or Rydberg states. We will present some recent experimental and theoretical results related to the interactions between the atoms and the optical nanofiber field and introduce some of the limitations observed.
A tapered optical fiber with subwavelength diameter waist, an optical nanofiber, provides a unique and all-fiber platform for manipulating atoms and photons. This paper presents some recent results towards quantum photonics on a nanofiber platform. In one direction, we demonstrate a quantum interface between trapped single atoms and fiber-guided photons using a nanofiber cavity. In the other direction, we demonstrate a polarized fiber-in-line quantum light source using a hybrid system of a single gold nanorod and single quantum dot deposited on a nanofiber.