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Physical Review A

Velocity-tuned resonances in the diffraction of atoms by an evanescent field

John E. Murphy, Lloyd C. L. Hollenberg, Andrew E. Smith

Published Apr 1, 1994• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The diffracted intensities of sodium atoms by a standing evanescent light wave near the three-Doppleron resonance are calculated using a multislice technique. This calculation predicts a sharp dip in the reflected intensity of the specular beam for a detuning slightly below resonance. Such phenomena have been observed experimentally and can be understood using the dressed-state picture.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.49.3100

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The diffracted intensities of sodium atoms by a standing evanescent light wave near the three-Doppleron resonance are calculated using a multislice technique. This calculation predicts a sharp dip in the reflected intensity of the specular beam for a detuning slightly below resonance. Such phenomena have been observed experimentally and can be understood using the dressed-state picture.
We analyze the condition of observation of Doppler-tuned multiphotonic (``doppleron'') resonances in an atom reflection by a standing evanescent wave. A theoretical model based on Ehrenfest's theorem for external atomic motion is proposed. The light forces exerted by the stationary evanescent wave are calculated either with a perturbation approach, or with a continuous-fraction method. The appearance of the multiphotonic lines in the specularly reflected atomic beam is clearly shown. These predictions are in good agreement with previous and present experimental results, which are discussed.
This thesis reports an investigation of the interaction of a thermal sodium beam with a variety of near-resonant evanescent field configurations which was performed between March 1990 and September 1993.The evanescent fields were tuned above the sodium D2 transition, in order to repel atoms at glancing incident angles through the gradient force.Three evanescent field configurations, corresponding to various optic elements, were employed.The first configuration was a travelling evanescent field, from which reflection of the beam was observed at glancing angles up to 4.5mrad.This configuration corresponds to a mirror for atoms.The second configuration was a standing evanescent wave generated by retroreflecting the travelling evanescent wave.The resulting evanescent wave consisted of closely spaced reflective regions separated by non-reflecting nodes of the standing wave.This configuration corresponds to a mirror grating with periodicity 7J2.The atomic beam was reflected from the evanescent field.No diffraction was observed, however.The final configuration was a moving standing evanescent grating, generated by interference between two counterpropagating laser beams.The relative velocity between the atoms and the grating could be continuously varied by adjusting the frequency of one laser.Coherent exchange of photons between the two fields in the moving evanescent grating was observed.This exchange exhibited velocity dependent resonant behaviour corresponding to doppleron resonances.The results are explained in terms of a dressed-state model for diffraction of atoms from such a grating.A parameter search was performed in an attempt to observe the diffraction of the thermal sodium beam, with null results.However, deflections which were dependent on grating velocity are reported.
We report on the observation of velocity-tuned (doppleron) resonances in the grazing-incidence reflection of thermal sodium atoms from a moving evanescent light grating created by interference between two counterpropagating laser beams. The relative velocity between the atoms and the grating can be varied continuously by adjusting the frequency of one laser. We observe an exchange of photons between copropagating and counterpropagating fields in an evanescent light grating. The results are in general agreement with a dressed-state model for the diffraction of atoms from such a grating.
We numerically solve the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for a two-level atom interacting with an evanescent light field. The atom may be reflected or diffracted. Using the experimental parameter values we quantitatively model the evanescent field dopplerons (velocity-tuned resonances) observed by Stenlake et al. [Phys. Rev. A 49, 16 (1994)]. Besides successfully modeling the experiment, our approach provides complementary insights to the usual solution of the time-independent Schr\"odinger equation. We neglect spontaneous emission.
In order to diffract atoms from an evanescent light reflection grating the Rabi frequency must be greater than the Doppler shift associated with the atomic velocity. For thermal atoms this cannot be achieved using dye lasers. Rather than slow the atoms we have produced a moving light grating and observe resonances in the reflectivity of the grating for certain grating velocities. The position of these resonances fulfils the Doppleron condition Δ’=nΔD’, which is consistent with a dressed state model for diffraction from such a grating.
Multi-photon Doppleron resonances are investigated for the diffraction of atoms by a classical standing-wave optical field in the regime where energy conservation limits the diffraction orders. In this regime, atomic recoil is incorporated into the description, and consideration of the dynamical shift of the resonance condition from the purely kinematic results becomes critical to observing the desired diffraction of the atomic wave function. Special attention is given to the development of a technique for evaluating the resonances which constitutes a significant simplification of the usual degenerate perturbation theory approach for a quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian. Also developed is a specialized off-resonant atom-field interaction which is shown to be maximally efficient at producing high-order diffraction of the atomic wave function. Suggestions for its implementation are given.