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Physical Review A

Coherent atomic mirrors and beam splitters by adiabatic passage in multilevel systems

P. Marte, P. Zoller, J. L. Hall

Published Oct 1, 1991• 254 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We study atomic-beam deflection by adiabatic passage between Zeeman ground levels via Raman transitions induced by counterpropagating ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$-polarized lasers. We show that complete population transfer between the ground states can be achieved, which corresponds to the scattering of the atomic wave packet into a single final momentum state by absorption and induced emission of laser photons. Although the lasers can be resonant, the excited state(s) are never populated during the adiabatic transfer, which suppresses the effects of spontaneous emission and preserves the coherence of the atomic wave function. This scheme has attractive features as a beam splitter and mirror for atomic interferometry.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.44.r4118

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The technique of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) has become an established procedure for producing complete population inversion in atoms or molecules via application of Stokes and pump pulses in a counterintuitive sequence. Previously we reported on numerical and analytical investigations showing some of the additional and important phenomena that arise when some of the levels involved have nonzero angular momentum, the field polarization directions have no simplifying symmetries, and Zeeman splitting lifts the magnetic sublevel degeneracy. Here we verify our theoretical findings using the metastable neon system: $^{3}$${\mathit{P}}_{0}$${\mathrm{?}}^{3}$${\mathit{P}}_{1}$${\mathrm{?}}^{3}$${\mathit{P}}_{2}$ with the corresponding angular momentum sequence J=0?J=1?J=2. In particular, we demonstrate that it is possible to transfer all population from the single initial state to any single selectable final magnetic sublevel M. Selectivity can be achieved either by choosing special laser polarization angles or, for fixed polarizations, by tuning the two lasers into two-photon resonance between the initial and desired final state. The complete control of magnetic sublevel population enabled by this procedure extends the customary experimental methods for producing oriented or aligned beams of atoms. In addition, we demonstrate very clearly the previous prediction that population transfer may fail for certain sets of parameters (detunings, Rabi frequencies, and polarization angles). \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

Physical Review A•Aug 1, 1996•108 citations
We study atomic-beam deflection by adiabatic passage between Zeeman ground levels via Raman transitions induced by counterpropagating \ensuremathσ\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremathσ\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi-polarized lasers. We show that complete population transfer between the ground states can be achieved, which corresponds to the scattering of the atomic wave packet into a single final momentum state by absorption and induced emission of laser photons. Although the lasers can be resonant, the excited state(s) are never populated during the adiabatic transfer, which suppresses the effects of spontaneous emission and preserves the coherence of the atomic wave function. This scheme has attractive features as a beam splitter and mirror for atomic interferometry.
We report an experimental observation of coherent population transfer in a multilevel system by adiabatic following through a trapped state. Raman transitions between ground-state sublevels are induced by two partially overlapping ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ polarized laser beams, tuned to the hyperfine transition F=4\ensuremath{\rightarrow}F'=4 of the cesium D2{\mathit{D}}_{2}D2​ line. An efficiency of more than 50% is observed for the mF{\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{F}}mF​=+4\ensuremath{\rightarrow}mF{\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{F}}mF​=-4 population transfer. The influence of other excited hyperfine levels on the transfer efficiency is pointed out. The feasibility of the technique with counterpropagating laser beams is also demonstrated.
We have observed transfer of momentum and ground state population in laser-cooled cesium by adiabatic following of a slowly evolving light field. In this new technique for mechanical manipulation of atoms, spontaneous emission is suppressed since the atoms evolve in a ``dark'' state that follows the light field. This means that the phase coherence of the atom is preserved so that this technique is useful in the realization of coherent atomic beam splitters and mirrors. Our experimental results are in good agreement with optical Bloch equation calculations.
We describe a technique for creating superpositions of degenerate quantum states, such as are needed for beam splitters used in matter-wave optics, by manipulating the timing of three orthogonally polarized laser beams through which moving atoms (or molecules) pass; motion across the laser beams produces pulses in the atomic rest frame. As illustrated with representative simulations for transitions in metastable neon, a single pass through three overlapping laser beams can produce superpositions (with preselected phase) of atomic beams differing by transverse momentum corresponding to the momentum of four photons. Like the two-photon momentum transfer of the tripod linkage pattern which it extends, the method relies on controlled adiabatic time evolution in the Hilbert subspace of two degenerate dark states. It is thus a generalization to multiple dark states (and larger transfers of linear momentum to the atomic beam) of the single dark state occurring with the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) technique, and therefore it is potentially insensitive to decoherence due to spontaneous emission. By extending the tripod-linkage system to more numerous degenerate states, the technique not only increases the atomic beam deflections but, as we demonstrate, allows control over the superposition phase and amplitudes. LIke other techniques based on adiabatic time evolution, the technique is robust with respect to variations of the intensity, timing, and other characteristics of the laser fields. Unlike STIRAP, the same robust partial population transfer occurs for opposite timings of the pulse sequence, as is needed for such procedures as Hadamard gates.
The application of counterpropagating, short, chirped laser pulses for the deflection and splitting of an atomic beam is investigated. A simple model is proposed to describe the case in which the pulses induce population transfer in the adiabatic-passage regime and in which the effects of spontaneous emission are negligible during the action of a single laser pulse. Spontaneous emission between the pulses is not neglected, however, and it is shown that it has a significant effect on the evolution of the average transversal velocity of the atoms, as well as the dispersion of the transversal velocity.
We have demonstrated a coherent beam splitter for metastable helium based on adiabatic passage. Light from a homemade LNA laser at 1.083 {mu} is used to excite the {sup 3}S{sub 1}-{sup 3}P{sub 0} transition in a highly collimated beam of metastable helium. The atoms are first optically pumped into the m=0 and m=-1 sublevels. These sublevels are two independent {open_quotes}dark{close_quotes} states from which no further absorption is possible. Population is transferred adiabatically from the m = -1 level to the m =+1 level by means of two partially overlapping laser beams. As well as absorbing 2{h_bar} of angular momentum from the radiation field, the atoms initially in the m = -1 sublevel acquire 2{h_bar}k of linear momentum via an absorption/stimulated emission process. The process can be repeated back to m = -1, and we have demonstrated 4{h_bar}k and 6{h_bar}k coherent momentum transfer using successive interactions regions. The population initially in the m = 0 sublevel is undeflected by the light.
The technique of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) has become an established procedure for producing complete population inversion in atoms or molecules via application of Stokes and pump pulses in a counterintuitive sequence. Previously we reported on numerical and analytical investigations showing some of the additional and important phenomena that arise when some of the levels involved have nonzero angular momentum, the field polarization directions have no simplifying symmetries, and Zeeman splitting lifts the magnetic sublevel degeneracy. Here we verify our theoretical findings using the metastable neon system: 3^{3}3P0{\mathit{P}}_{0}P0​?3{\mathrm{?}}^{3}?3P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​?3{\mathrm{?}}^{3}?3P2{\mathit{P}}_{2}P2​ with the corresponding angular momentum sequence J=0?J=1?J=2. In particular, we demonstrate that it is possible to transfer all population from the single initial state to any single selectable final magnetic sublevel M. Selectivity can be achieved either by choosing special laser polarization angles or, for fixed polarizations, by tuning the two lasers into two-photon resonance between the initial and desired final state. The complete control of magnetic sublevel population enabled by this procedure extends the customary experimental methods for producing oriented or aligned beams of atoms. In addition, we demonstrate very clearly the previous prediction that population transfer may fail for certain sets of parameters (detunings, Rabi frequencies, and polarization angles). \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.