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Journal of Modern Optics

Atoms in squeezed light fields

Bryan J. Dalton, Z. Ficek, S. Swain

Published Mar 1, 1999• 82 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Squeezed light is of interest as an example of a non-classical state of the electromagnetic field and because of its applications both in technology and in fundamental quantum physics. This review concentrates on one aspect of squeezed light, namely its application in atomic spectroscopy. The general properties, detection and application of squeezed light are first reviewed. The basic features of the main theoretical methods (master equations, quantum Langevin equations, coupled systems) used to treat squeezed light spectroscopy are then outlined. The physics of squeezed light interactions with atomic systems is dealt with first for the simpler case of two-level atoms and then for the more complex situation of multi-level atoms and multi-atom systems. Finally the specific applications of squeezed light spectroscopy are reviewed.

DOI
10.1080/09500349908231278

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Squeezed light is of interest as an example of a non-classical state of the electromagnetic field and because of its applications both in technology and in fundamental quantum physics. This review concentrates on one aspect of squeezed light, namely its application in atomic spectroscopy. The general properties, detection and application of squeezed light are first reviewed. The basic features of the main theoretical methods (master equations, quantum Langevin equations, coupled systems) used to treat squeezed light spectroscopy are then outlined. The physics of squeezed light interactions with atomic systems is dealt with first for the simpler case of two-level atoms and then for the more complex situation of multi-level atoms and multi-atom systems. Finally the specific applications of squeezed light spectroscopy are reviewed.
In the last few years a new field, atomic physics and spectroscopy with non-classical, squeezed light, has emerged. The frequency tunable sources of such light utilize tunable lasers and frequency doubling and/or parametric down conversion to create quantum correlations between frequency components of radiation [1–5]. The non-classical features of light result in manifestly non-classical features of spectral lines, namely in the rate of atomic processes, in the line shapes, and in the level of quantum noise in atomic spectroscopy. Moreover, the non-classical features of light can be transferred onto atoms leading to their manifestly non-classical behavior. We will briefly review some theoretical proposals and experimental results in this new area.
Squeezed light, a prominent non-classical state of light, exhibits reduced quantum noise in one quadrature component below the standard quantum limit (SQL). The property enables quantum-enhanced precision measurements, surpassing the SQL in quantum sensing applications. This review comprehensively introduces the fundamental concepts, classifications, and experimental generation techniques of squeezed light. It further explores its pivotal role and recent advances in diverse quantum sensing domains, including interferometry, gravitational wave detection, magnetometry, force sensing, biomedical sensing, and quantum radar. The review covers theoretical foundations of squeezed states (including quadrature operators and classification schemes, experimental generation techniques in atomic ensembles, nonlinear crystals, and fibers), fundamentals of quantum sensing with squeezed light (from quantum noise theory to quantum-enhanced metrology), and quantum-enhanced sensing applications across the aforementioned domains. Finally, future challenges and opportunities in the field are discussed.
Light and atoms couple together via the electromagnetic interaction. The simplest form of this interaction is the electric dipole interaction, and in its quantised form it provides a useful starting point for the investigation of quantum effects in optics. Two examples of quantum noise manipulation of the light field due to interaction with atoms will be presented, as well as an analysis of a simple model for laser cooling of trapped atoms. The first example of quantum noise manipulation is the investigation of a quantum non-demolition measurement scheme based on a three-level atomic system in the ladder configuration. An effective two-level model of the atomic system is used, which enables the inclusion of spontaneous emission noise from the upper atomic level. The system is found to perform well, when detuned far from resonance. The second example is the treatment of squeezing in the intensity difference between two modes coupled by a three-level atomic system in the ladder configuration. The noise correlations are similar to those occurring in the optical parametric oscillator, and give rise to good squeezing when the system is well detuned from the intermediate level. The simple model of laser cooling consists of a single two-level atom with quantised centre-of-mass motion constrained to move in a one-dimensional harmonic potential while interacting with a single-mode classical travelling light field. It is shown that there is an analogy between this model and the Jaynes-Cummings model. This gives rise to interesting coherent effects including quantum collapses and revivals in the atomic inversion. Sideband cooling occurs for this model when the light field is tuned to the atom's first lower vibrational sideband. The strong sideband and Lamb-Dicke perturbation regimes are defined. Analytic results have previously been obtained for the latter regime, but we carry out a numerical investigation of the steady state and time evolution behaviour in the former regime. Differences in the behaviour in the two regimes are discussed. Finally the possibility of observing quantum jumps between trap levels is discussed.
Light is both radiated and absorbed by atoms, and the interaction between the quantized electromagnetic field and an atom represents one of the most fundamental problems in quantum optics. However, real atoms are complicated systems, and even the simplest real atom, the hydrogen atom, has a non-trivial energy level structure. It is therefore often necessary or desirable to approximate the behavior of a real atom by that of a much simpler quantum system. For many purposes only two atomic energy levels play a significant role in the interaction with the electromagnetic field, so that it has become customary in many theoretical treatments to represent the atom by a quantum system with only two energy eigenstates. This is the most basic of all quantum systems, and it generally simplifies the treatment substantially. In a real atom the selection rules limit the allowed transitions between states, so that, in some cases, a certain state may couple to only one other. Moreover, optical pumping techniques have been developed that allow such preferred states to be prepared in the laboratory, and they have been successfully used in experiments (Abate, 1974). The two-level atom approximation is therefore close to the truth and not merely a mathematical convenience in some experimental situations. In the following we begin by developing the algebra for such a two-level atom. Dynamical variables for a two-level atom We consider an atomic quantum system with the two energy levels shown in Fig. 15.1.