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Optics Letters

Coherent beam splitter for atoms based on a bichromatic standing light wave

Rudolf Grimm, Yu. B. Ovchinnikov, Johannes Söding

Published May 1, 1994• 56 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a new coherent atomic beam splitter that is based on the induced redistribution of photons in the intense field of two collinear standing waves with different frequencies. In the dressed-atom approach, we show that this scheme can provide a clear large-angle splitting into two components without being restricted to the Raman-Nath regime.

DOI
10.1364/ol.19.000658

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We propose a new coherent atomic beam splitter that is based on the induced redistribution of photons in the intense field of two collinear standing waves with different frequencies. In the dressed-atom approach, we show that this scheme can provide a clear large-angle splitting into two components without being restricted to the Raman-Nath regime.
We investigate schemes for the clean splitting of beams of three-level atoms using two standing-wave laser fields within an optical cavity. The proposed beam splitter is shown to work for atoms in the \ensuremath{\Lambda} ladder, and ssV configurations. For appropriate values of Rabi frequencies and detunings, we obtain a triangular type of potential for the atomic states of interest. As well as modeling the coherent evolution of the systems, we have used quantum Monte Carlo wave-function methods to model the effects of spontaneous emission on the resulting diffraction pattern, finding significant differences between the three configurations. We also investigate the limits of the Raman-Nath approximation for our systems, using the symmetric split-operator technique to include the effects of the kinetic term in the Hamiltonian. We also present the results of calculations in which the split output beams are recombined, demonstrating the expected interference for differently prepared input beams. In comparison with two-level beam splitters using a single standing wave, we obtain a superior splitting, while, in comparison with magneto-optical beam splitters, our system possesses the worthwhile practical advantages of experimental simplicity.
Abstract Atomic beam splitters are fundamental components of atom interferometers, with broad applications in high sensitivity metrology and integrated atom optics devices. In this work, we theoretically demonstrate coherent beam splitting of a metastable helium atomic beam using a pulsed bichromatic standing wave. Our key innovation is a fully self-consistent model coupling the optical Bloch equations - which include spontaneous emission via a Lindblad term - with the classical equations of atomic motion, enabling the simulation of real-time splitting dynamics. This allows us to simulate the real-time dynamics and identify optimal experimental parameters neglected in prior splitter studies. Crucially, we find that the optimal standing-wave phase difference is ϕ= 3π/4, not π/2, maximizing the distinction between the dynamical pathways for splitting the metastable helium beam (2 3 S 1 →3 3 P 2 transition). We propose and validate the use of optical pulses shorter than the spontaneous emission lifetime to suppress decoherence. Monte Carlo simulations predict a clean binary split with a tunable splitting angle to 56 mrad, corresponding to 56 ħk momentum transfer, and a splitting efficiency of 55 - 83% via detuning.
A theory of an atom beam splitter is developed involving the interaction of standing-wave field pulses with $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type atoms. The beam splitter consists of two interaction zones, both treated in the Raman-Nath approximation. There is an initial, off-resonant field (or fields) that prepares the initial atomic state, followed by interaction with a pair of standing-wave field pulses. Using this configuration one is able to create a large-angle beam splitter with a significant suppression of unwanted momentum components. The roles of relaxation and a frequency chirp are investigated, as are initial conditions for which both ground states of the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ scheme are prepared by the first field. It is shown that the scheme is rather robust against fluctuations of system parameters.
Atomic beam splitter needs for the practical realization of nano-scale lithography by coherent scattering of the atoms. We consider the different types of atomic beam splitters, which could be used for the creation of the space structures with nano-scale period. We concentrate to a few main schemes of an interaction between an atom beam and optical radiation, which can produce a large angle splitting of atom beam into only two main momentum components: multi Bragg scattering an atom wave packet in standing wave; coherent splitting by scattering of an atom wave packet in standing wave with modulated intensity, when the intensity of the standing wave changes harmonically. We discuss also the experimental possibility of an atom selection in internal states for obtaining of space periodical structure with high clearance.