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Optics Express

Novel laser controlled variable matter wave beamsplitter

H. Theuer, Razmik G. Unanyan, C. Habscheid, Konstantin Klein, Klaas Bergmann

Published Jan 18, 1999• 101 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a novel variable beam splitter using a tripod-linkage of atomic states, the physics of which is based on the laser control of the non-adiabatic coupling between two degenerate dark states. This coupling and the splitting ratio is determined by the time delay of the interaction induced by two of the laser beams.
DOI
10.1364/oe.4.000077

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A variable achromatic optical beam splitter with one input and NNN output waveguide channels is introduced. The physical mechanism of this multiple beam splitter is adiabatic passage of light between neighboring optical waveguides in a fashion reminiscent of the technique of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage in quantum physics. The input and output waveguides are coupled via a mediator waveguide and the ratios of the light intensities in the output channels are controlled by the couplings of the respective waveguides to the mediator waveguide. Due to its adiabatic nature the beam splitting efficiency is robust to variations in the experimental parameters.
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