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Annales de Physique

Atom optics with a spatial light modulator

B. Viaris de Lesegno, Michael Mestre, Fabienne Diry, Laurence Pruvost

Published Jan 1, 2007• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report on the use of a spatial light modulator to holographically shape the beam profile of a laser to create various dipolar potentials applied to a cold rubidium cloud. Various difficulties encountered in this process are described. Preliminary results of atom guiding in hollow beams are presented.
DOI
10.1051/anphys:2008037

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We are exploring the possibilities offered by Spatial Light Modulators to create dipole potentials with arbitrary shape in order to apply to cold atoms. As a first experiment we have realized a guide for atoms by shaping the laser beam into a Laguerre-Gaussian mode, creating a sort of tube, empty of light, where the atoms rest confined during their flight in the gravity field. We are, now, creating new potentials by modifying the Laguerre-Gaussian hologram in order to create new original traps for atoms.
We have guided cold (85)Rb atoms in a blue-detuned, high-order hollow laser beam generated by a binary spatial light modulator. The binary holograms written to the modulator produce smooth hollow laser beams with steep intensity walls that can be updated with a 1.6 kHz refresh rate. We analyze the guiding laser beams numerically and experimentally, and show that the atoms are exposed to an average intensity that is ~2% of the maximum intensity of the guide at a laser detuning of 1 GHz and 2 mW of optical power.
A spatial light modulator (SLM) has been used to create high quality Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) light beams, which have been used to study the guiding of cold rubidium atoms. The SLM allows real-time variation of the hollow guiding beam and permits direct comparison of the guided atom fluxes for different LG modes with minimal adjustment of the other optical components. It is demonstrated that, by increasing the azimuthal index l of the Laguerre–Gaussian beam, the radiation pressure pushing the trapped atoms may be reduced while maintaining the same guided flux. This is the first comparative study of hollow beam atom guiding, and further demonstrates the versatility of the SLM for studies in atom optics.
This thesis is concerned with the guiding of cold atoms using optical forces, which is of great importance in the field of atom optics. Atomic beams can be used for precision sensor equipment, building nano-scale structures, construction of quantum computers and to further the understanding of the properties of atoms. Atoms are guided along light beams using the dipole force; there are two regimes under which this force works. Typically red-detuned guides are used (atoms are attracted towards the light) such guides, however, require large detuning and high powers. In this thesis we investigate the use of blue-detuned (atoms are repelled from the light) hollow light beams of moderate power (a few hundred mW) and confine atoms in the dark centre of the beams. Several magneto-optical traps (MOTs) have been constructed to exploit different guiding geometries. Hollow beams have been generated using a variety of methods; in particular the use of a computer controlled spatial light modulator (SLM) has provided great versatility and simplicity to the experimental arrangements. First, experiments were performed with a low-velocity intense source (LVIS) of atoms. A co-linear LG beam significantly enhances the observed flux, however, considerable difficulties are encountered loading atoms into oblique guides. Imaging a hole in the walls of the light tube was used to improve the loading efficiency. Second, guiding a free-falling atom cloud is performed using a non-diffracting Bessel beam. It is found that while the potential of the Bessel beam is steeper than equivalent LG beams the power distribution across the beam severely limits its usefulness. The next study investigated higher-order LG guide beams generated with an SLM. High order modes have a narrower profile so confine the atoms with less interaction with the guide beam, leading to a more natural guide (as opposed to a pushing force). Finally the SLM was used to create non-trivial beam shapes for beam splitters and interferometers.
The development of new laser beam shaping methods is important in a variety of fields within optics, atomic physics and biophotonics. Spatial light modulators offer a highly versatile method of time-dependent beam shaping, based on imprinting a phase profile onto an incident laser beam that determines the intensity in the trapping plane laser field. The calculation of the required phase is a well-known inverse problem, which can be tackled with different approaches. Our method based on conjugate gradient minimisation [1] not only allows the calculation of smooth and accurate intensity profiles suitable for trapping cold atoms, but can also be used to generate multi-wavelength traps [2] and for simultaneous control over both the intensity and the phase of the light [3], with exceptionally high reconstruction fidelity. References: [1] T Harte, et al., "Conjugate gradient minimisation approach to generating holographic traps for ultracold atoms" Opt. Express 22, 26548 (2014) [2] D Bowman, et al., "Multi-wavelength holography with a single spatial light modulator for ultracold atom experiments" Opt. Express 23, 8365 (2015) [3] D Bowman, et al., "High-fidelity phase and amplitude control of phase-only computer generated holograms using conjugate gradient minimisation" Opt. Express 25, 11692 (2017)