Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Optical dipole traps for cold atoms using diffracted laser light

Glen Gillen, Shekhar Guha, Katharina Christandl

Published Jan 20, 2006• 18 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the feasibility of using intensity distributions of light of a single laser beam diffracted by a circular aperture as optical dipole traps for cold neutral atoms. Localized and cylindrically symmetric traps on the central axis of the circular aperture exist for both blue- and red-detuned laser light. Experimental mapping of the spots of interest using ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ laser light demonstrates the existence of these light distributions for laboratory conditions and their agreement with theoretical predictions.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.73.013409

Related papers

Trapping Cold Atoms with Laser Light

Glen D. Gillen, Katharina Gillen, Shekhar Guha

In this chapter we present an interesting application of the propagation of laser light through linear optical media: the ability to spatially confine (trap) cold atoms within localized light intensity patterns. We first present some of the fundamentals for understanding how light can trap an atom. Depending upon the relationship between the properties of the atom and the properties of the laser light, atoms can be trapped in either localized dark spots, or localized bright spots. We will describe several light patterns for trapping atoms: The tightly localized bright and dark regions in the near-field diffraction patterns presented in Chapters 7 and 8 , The near-field patterns projected to a location far away from the diffracting aperture, and Polarization-dependent movable light field traps based on the near-field diffraction patterns.

CRC Press eBooks•Oct 30, 2013•0 citations

Improved far-field optical trap for cold atoms (molecules) with phase-modulated circular aperture diffraction

Liya Chen, Jianping Yin

We propose a scheme to trap cold atoms (or molecules) by using an improved red- or blue-detuned far-field optical trap, which is formed by an optical system composed of a binary phase plate and a circular aperture illuminated by a plane light wave. We calculate the relative intensity distribution of the far-field trap and study its dependence on the phase $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ of the binary phase plate. Our study shows that the binary phase plate can be used to improve some geometric and optical parameters of the far-field optical trap, and realize the evolution of the far-field optical trap from a red-detuned trap to a blue-detuned one. In particular, when the phase $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ of the binary phase plate is changed from 0 to $\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$, the maximum intensity of the far-field trap and its well depth will be enhanced by $\ensuremath{\sim}4$ times, and the corresponding trapping volume will be increased by $\ensuremath{\sim}8$ times, with respect to a trapping beam obtained from the diffraction by a circular aperture.

Physical Review A•Dec 18, 2009•7 citations

Projection of diffraction patterns for use in cold-neutral-atom trapping

Katharina Gillen-Christandl, Glen D. Gillen

Scalar diffraction theory is combined with beam-propagation techniques to investigate the projection of near-field diffraction patterns to spatial locations away from the aperture for use in optically trapping cold neutral alkali-metal atoms. Calculations show that intensity distributions with localized bright and dark spots usually found within a millimeter of the diffracting aperture can be projected to a region free from optical components such as a cloud of cold atoms within a vacuum chamber. Calculations also predict that the critical properties of the optical dipole atom traps are not only maintained for the projected intensity patterns but also can be manipulated and improved by adjustment of the optical components outside the vacuum chamber.

Physical Review A•Dec 29, 2010•6 citations

An enhanced far-field-diffracted optical trap for cold atoms or molecules on an optical chip

Liya Chen, Jianping Yin

An enhanced or improved far-field-diffracted optical dipole trap with a red or blue detuning for cold atoms or molecules on an optical chip is proposed, and our trap scheme is formed by an optical system composed of a binary phase plate and a circular aperture illuminated by a plane light wave. The relative radial and axial intensity distributions of the far-field optical trap and its optical potentials for 87Rb atoms are calculated, and the dependences of the relative intensity of the far-field optical trap and its well depth on the modulated phase φ of the phase plate are studied. Also, the feasibility of our enhanced far-field optical trap is analyzed, and some potential applications of our optical trap are briefly discussed. Our research shows that some geometric and optical parameters of the far-field optical trap can be greatly improved, and the evolution of the far-field optical trap from a red-detuned optical trap to a blue-detuned one can be realized by using our proposed binary phase plate. Particularly, with the change of the modulated phase φ from 0 to −π, the maximum intensity (i.e., the well depth) of the far-field optical trap and its trapping volume will be increased by about four and eight times, respectively. While the modulated phase φ of the phase plate is changed from 0 to π, a red-detuned optical trap will be evolved as a blue-detuned one, and the corresponding trapping intensity and volume will be enhanced by about 4 times. So such an enhanced far-field optical trap scheme has some important applications in the fields of laser cooling and trapping; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; integrated atom or molecule optics; quantum information science; and so on.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Aug 25, 2010•1 citation

Implementation of an Optical Dipole Trap for Lithium Atoms

Pascal E. Blessing

Optical dipole traps are often used to provide an ultra-cold atom gas. Red detuned dipole traps are in principal rather easy to implement since they only consist of a focussed laser beam and without great complexity a potential minimum can be achieved. Bigger issues are the optimization of these traps as the intensity noise of the cw laser needs to be stabilized and thermal effects due to the high laser power traveling though the optical elements need to be minimized.

•Jan 1, 2016•0 citations

An optimized single-beam dark optical trap

Ariel Kaplan, N. Friedman, Nir Davidson

Summary form only given. Blue-detuned optical traps confine neutral atoms mostly in the dark, therefore reducing the perturbations induced by the trapping light on the atoms. Recently, traps based on a single laser beam were demonstrated, providing greater experimental simplicity and enabling dynamical changes of the trap geometry and strength. However, all these traps have a large difference in the potential strength in the radial and axial directions, resulting in a very inefficient use of the available laser power, and a poor loading efficiency from the magneto-optical trap. In this work we present a novel optical scheme to generate an optimal trap, which maximizes the trap depth, and greatly reduces the light-induced perturbations to the atoms. This is achieved by surrounding a dark volume with a light envelope having (a) an almost minimal surface area for a given volume, (b) the minimal wall thickness allowed by diffraction, and (c) an almost constant wall height on every point on the envelope. The stiffness of the walls, combined with the large detuning allowed by the efficient distribution of light intensity, yield a very low photon scattering rate for the trapped atoms.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jun 25, 2003•1 citation
We theoretically investigate the feasibility of using intensity distributions of light of a single laser beam diffracted by a circular aperture as optical dipole traps for cold neutral atoms. Localized and cylindrically symmetric traps on the central axis of the circular aperture exist for both blue- and red-detuned laser light. Experimental mapping of the spots of interest using CO2{\mathrm{CO}}_{2}CO2​ laser light demonstrates the existence of these light distributions for laboratory conditions and their agreement with theoretical predictions.
In this chapter we present an interesting application of the propagation of laser light through linear optical media: the ability to spatially confine (trap) cold atoms within localized light intensity patterns. We first present some of the fundamentals for understanding how light can trap an atom. Depending upon the relationship between the properties of the atom and the properties of the laser light, atoms can be trapped in either localized dark spots, or localized bright spots. We will describe several light patterns for trapping atoms: The tightly localized bright and dark regions in the near-field diffraction patterns presented in Chapters 7 and 8 , The near-field patterns projected to a location far away from the diffracting aperture, and Polarization-dependent movable light field traps based on the near-field diffraction patterns.
We propose a scheme to trap cold atoms (or molecules) by using an improved red- or blue-detuned far-field optical trap, which is formed by an optical system composed of a binary phase plate and a circular aperture illuminated by a plane light wave. We calculate the relative intensity distribution of the far-field trap and study its dependence on the phase $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ of the binary phase plate. Our study shows that the binary phase plate can be used to improve some geometric and optical parameters of the far-field optical trap, and realize the evolution of the far-field optical trap from a red-detuned trap to a blue-detuned one. In particular, when the phase $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ of the binary phase plate is changed from 0 to $\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$, the maximum intensity of the far-field trap and its well depth will be enhanced by $\ensuremath{\sim}4$ times, and the corresponding trapping volume will be increased by $\ensuremath{\sim}8$ times, with respect to a trapping beam obtained from the diffraction by a circular aperture.
Scalar diffraction theory is combined with beam-propagation techniques to investigate the projection of near-field diffraction patterns to spatial locations away from the aperture for use in optically trapping cold neutral alkali-metal atoms. Calculations show that intensity distributions with localized bright and dark spots usually found within a millimeter of the diffracting aperture can be projected to a region free from optical components such as a cloud of cold atoms within a vacuum chamber. Calculations also predict that the critical properties of the optical dipole atom traps are not only maintained for the projected intensity patterns but also can be manipulated and improved by adjustment of the optical components outside the vacuum chamber.
An enhanced or improved far-field-diffracted optical dipole trap with a red or blue detuning for cold atoms or molecules on an optical chip is proposed, and our trap scheme is formed by an optical system composed of a binary phase plate and a circular aperture illuminated by a plane light wave. The relative radial and axial intensity distributions of the far-field optical trap and its optical potentials for 87Rb atoms are calculated, and the dependences of the relative intensity of the far-field optical trap and its well depth on the modulated phase φ of the phase plate are studied. Also, the feasibility of our enhanced far-field optical trap is analyzed, and some potential applications of our optical trap are briefly discussed. Our research shows that some geometric and optical parameters of the far-field optical trap can be greatly improved, and the evolution of the far-field optical trap from a red-detuned optical trap to a blue-detuned one can be realized by using our proposed binary phase plate. Particularly, with the change of the modulated phase φ from 0 to −π, the maximum intensity (i.e., the well depth) of the far-field optical trap and its trapping volume will be increased by about four and eight times, respectively. While the modulated phase φ of the phase plate is changed from 0 to π, a red-detuned optical trap will be evolved as a blue-detuned one, and the corresponding trapping intensity and volume will be enhanced by about 4 times. So such an enhanced far-field optical trap scheme has some important applications in the fields of laser cooling and trapping; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; integrated atom or molecule optics; quantum information science; and so on.
Summary form only given. Blue-detuned optical traps confine neutral atoms mostly in the dark, therefore reducing the perturbations induced by the trapping light on the atoms. Recently, traps based on a single laser beam were demonstrated, providing greater experimental simplicity and enabling dynamical changes of the trap geometry and strength. However, all these traps have a large difference in the potential strength in the radial and axial directions, resulting in a very inefficient use of the available laser power, and a poor loading efficiency from the magneto-optical trap. In this work we present a novel optical scheme to generate an optimal trap, which maximizes the trap depth, and greatly reduces the light-induced perturbations to the atoms. This is achieved by surrounding a dark volume with a light envelope having (a) an almost minimal surface area for a given volume, (b) the minimal wall thickness allowed by diffraction, and (c) an almost constant wall height on every point on the envelope. The stiffness of the walls, combined with the large detuning allowed by the efficient distribution of light intensity, yield a very low photon scattering rate for the trapped atoms.