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Optics Express

On-chip optical detection of laser cooled atoms

Pedro Antonio Quinto-Su, M. Tscherneck, M. Holmes, N. P. Bigelow

Published Jan 1, 2004• 16 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have used an optical fiber based system to implement optical detection of atoms trapped on a reflective "atom-chip". A fiber pair forms an emitter-detector setup that is bonded to the atom-chip surface to optically detect and probe laser cooled atoms trapped in a surface magneto-optical trap. We demonstrate the utility of this scheme by measuring the linewidth of the Cs D2 line at different laser intensities.

DOI
10.1364/opex.12.005098

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We have used an optical fiber based system to implement optical detection of atoms trapped on a reflective "atom-chip". A fiber pair forms an emitter-detector setup that is bonded to the atom-chip surface to optically detect and probe laser cooled atoms trapped in a surface magneto-optical trap. We demonstrate the utility of this scheme by measuring the linewidth of the Cs D2 line at different laser intensities.
The subject of this thesis is the miniaturization and integration of detectors for the detection of single rubidium atoms on an atom chip. For this purpose three different detectors were developed for atom detection by absorption or fluorescence: i) A fluorescence detector was realized by mounting a tapered lensed fiber perpendicular to a collection fiber. ii) An absorption detector was built by placing a multi-mode fiber in-line with a tapered lensed fiber. iii) A tunable cavity detector was built from two single mode fibers mounted on the chip surface. To mount the detectors on the planar surface of the atom chip retaining structures by means of lithographical techniques were developed. Those structures allow a very accurate and stable passive fiber alignment. To test the individual detectors an atomic ensemble of thermal rubidium atoms was prepared in a magneto-optical trap. Then the atoms were transferred into magnetic micro-traps of the atom chip and were guided to one of the detectors. Each integrated detector has been evaluated by several characterization measurements. With the fluorescence detector the highest single atom detection efficiency of 54\\% was attained. Thereby it was possible to perform quantitative measurements for the magnetically guided atoms on a single atom level and to study fundamental properties of the confined atoms.
NOTE: Text or symbols not renderable in plain ASCII are indicated by [...]. Abstract is included in .pdf document. Investigations of optical processes for laser cooled and trapped atoms are described. Fluorescence from Cs atoms in a magneto-optical trap is detected under conditions of very low atomic density. Discrete steps are observed in the fluorescent signal versus time and are associated with the arrival and departure of individual trapped atoms. Histograms of the frequency of occurrence of a given level of fluorescence exhibit a series of uniformly spaced peaks that are attributed to the presence of N = 0, 1, 2 atoms in the trap. In addition, numerical absorption and emission spectra for three-level [...], [...], and V systems under intense radiations are calculated. Absorption spectra for a [...] system is used to explain the probe-wave amplification and absorption spectra recorded for Cs atoms cooled and confined in a magneto-optical trap, in which novel spectral features of narrow frequency widths with single-pass gain exceeding 20% are observed. The consequence of the optical gain is demonstrated to lead to negative radiation pressure, which is investigated together with other mechanical forces in the trap. Various alternative trapping schemes in three-level and two-level atoms are proposed as possible means to compress an atomic sample and demonstrated for a two-level magneto-optical trap.
Cold-atom systems provide a nearly static measurement medium with almost no interaction between the atoms for quantum precision measurement processes, thereby avoiding the frequency shift and broadening existing in the working medium of hot atoms, making the measurement results more accurate. However, the atomic cooling part of current quantum precision measurement systems is bulky and complex, which is not conducive to miniaturization of distributable quantum measurement standard systems. In order to make a less complex magneto-optical trap system, we adopted the scheme to combine the diffraction grating chip and the atomic cooling technique. The wavefront of a single incident light was phase modulated through the linear grating, and the atoms were successfully trapped on a chip scale. The preparation of the core chip of a miniaturized magneto-optical trap and the realization of the magneto-optical trap system with a simple optical structure can lay a solid foundation for further miniaturization of the overall system of a magneto-optical trap in the future.
We investigate the optical detection of single atoms held in a microscopic atom trap close to a surface. Laser light is guided by optical fibers or optical microstructures via the atom to a photodetector. Our results suggest that with present-day technology microcavities can be built around the atom with sufficiently high finesse to permit unambiguous detection of a single atom in the trap with $10\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ of integration. We compare resonant and nonresonant detection schemes and discuss the requirements for detecting an atom without causing it to undergo spontaneous emission.
Detecting single atoms (qubits) is a key requirement for implementing quantum information processing on an atom chip. The detector should ideally be integrated on the chip. Here we present and compare different methods capable of detecting neutral atoms on an atom chip. After a short introduction to fluorescence and absorption detection we discuss cavity enhanced detection of single atoms. In particular we concentrate on optical fiber based detectors such as fiber cavities and tapered fiber dipole traps. We discuss the various constraints in building such detectors in detail along with the current implementations on atom chips. Results from experimental tests of fiber integration are also described. In addition we present a pilot experiment for atom detection using a concentric cavity to verify the required scaling.
A lattice beam configuration that results in an isotropic 3D trap near the surface of an atom chip is described. The lattice is formed near the surface of a reflectively coated atom chip, where three incident beams and three reflected beams intersect. The coherent interference of these six beams forms a phase-stable optical lattice that extends to the surface of the atom chip. The lattice is experimentally realized, and the trap frequency is measured. Degenerate Raman sideband cooling is performed in the optical lattice, cooling 80 million atoms to .