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Physical Review A

Observation of velocity-tuned resonances in the reflection of atoms from an evanescent light grating

B. W. Stenlake, Ian C. M. Littler, Hans‐A. Bachor, K. G. H. Baldwin, Peter Fisk

Published Jan 1, 1994• 398 citations
Publisher

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.49.r16

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Journal of Modern Optics•Nov 1, 1990•8 citations
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Realization of the analogues of optical components for the manipulation of atomic de Broglie waves has recently become possible through the use of laser-based techniques. The strong fields generated by laser light have already been used to reflect atoms using travelling evanescent waves, and to diffract atomic beams through small angles using transmission gratings formed by a standing laser light wave in vacuo. Present experiments aim to combine these techniques to produce a reflection diffraction grating formed by a standing evanescent laser-light field, and to exploit the larger diffraction angles made possible theoretically by such a scheme.