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

Creation of Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes using diffractive optics

Sharon A. Kennedy, Matthew J. Szabo, Hilary L. Teslow, James Zachary Porterfield, E. R. I. Abraham

Published Oct 4, 2002• 104 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Diffractive optics are used to create low- and high-order Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams from the output of a diode laser. We examine the mode purities, conversion efficiencies, extinction ratios, and propagation characteristics. We present detailed analyses of the beam profiles for one low-order $({\mathrm{LG}}_{0}^{1})$ and one high-order $({\mathrm{LG}}_{1}^{2})$ Laguerre-Gaussian mode. Modeling the ${\mathrm{LG}}_{1}^{2}$ beam as a superposition of LG modes, we find $(99.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9%)$ of the laser intensity in the ${\mathrm{LG}}_{1}^{2}$ mode, a mode purity greater than for LG beams created by other methods external to the laser cavity. The high mode purity may be useful in making atom traps for precision measurements and for Bose-Einstein condensation.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.66.043801

Related papers

Laser cooling and trapping using Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams

Sharon A. Kennedy

Laser cooling and trapping has led to a revolution in Atomic and Molecular physics. Optical traps created with blue-detuned laser beams are desired for numerous studies. One method of creating such a trap is with Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams. Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser beams are interesting because of their orbital angular momentum and radial intensity modes. Previous methods of creating higher-order LG beams did not yield pure LG modes. In collaboration with Digital Optics Corporation diffraction optics have been manufactured that yield higher-order LG laser beams with purities consistent with 100% of the intensity in the desire mode. We then create a donut-mode LG beam with this method to confine atoms from a MOT in both a blue-detuned and a red-detuned optical dipole force trap.

•Jan 1, 2003•0 citations

Toroidal optical dipole traps for atomic Bose-Einstein condensates using Laguerre-Gaussian beams

Ewan M. Wright, Jochen Arlt, Kishan Dholakia

We theoretically investigate the use of red-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser beams of varying azimuthal mode index for producing toroidal optical dipole traps in two-dimensional atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. Higher-order LG beams provide deeper potential wells and tighter confinement for a fixed toroid radius and laser power. Numerical simulations of the loading of the toroidal trap from a variety of initial conditions are also given.

arXiv:cond-mat/0008479•Physical Review A•Dec 12, 2000•161 citations

Laguerre–Gaussian modes and the Wigner transform

Michael VanValkenburgh

Recent developments in laser physics have called renewed attention to Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beams of paraxial light. In this paper we consider the corresponding LG modes for the two-dimensional harmonic oscillator, which appear in the transversal plane at the laser beam's waist. We see how they arise as Wigner transforms of Hermite–Gaussian modes, and we proceed to find a closed form for their own Wigner transforms, providing an alternative to the methods of Simon and Agarwal. Our main observation is that the Wigner transform intertwines the creation and annihilation operators for the two classes of modes.

arXiv:0805.0816•Journal of Modern Optics•Dec 10, 2008•6 citations

Generating Laguerre-Gaussian Modes for Atom Trapping in a Sr Optical Lattice Clock

Miguel A. Cifuentes Marin, Haosen Shang, Yannick Foucault +2 more

Aiming to improve the characterization of systematic effects in optical lattice clocks below 10−18, we propose the implementation of Laguerre-Gaussian modes (LGpl) to shape a multi-site trap in the 1D optical lattice of a Sr optical lattice clock, hence reducing the density of atoms, while preserving the advantages of 1D lattices. In this work, we demonstrate the generation of LG0lmodes with l up to 4, and the injection of these modes into an in-vacuum optical cavity intended for the dipole trapping of atoms. Trapping depths up to 200Erfor an LG04were obtained, a priori making it possible to implement LG modes within the clock sequence. We then propose and evaluate two different methods to load atoms in a LG profile.

Joint Conference of the European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (EFTF/IFCS)•Apr 24, 2022•1 citation

Experimentation on Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams for QI application

Manoj Kumar Mahanta

It is well known that Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM), resulting from a phase singularity and created from the readily available Hermite-Gaussian (HG) laser beam, carry the potential for providing an unlimited number of orbital angular momentum states that could be used for enhanced processing of quantum info mation (QI). This paper presents a comprehensive set of experimentation on the fabrication and use of computer generated holograms to create LG beams from the HG profile of an ordinary He-Ne laser and characterization thereof in preparation for QI applications.

IEEE Conference on Emerging Technologies - Nanoelectronics•Mar 30, 2006•0 citations

Bose-Einstein condensation in dark power-law laser traps

Amine Jaouadi, Naceur Gaaloul, B. Viaris de Lesegno +3 more

We investigate theoretically an original route to achieve Bose-Einstein condensation using dark power-law laser traps. We propose to create such traps with two crossing blue-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian optical beams. Controlling their azimuthal order $\ensuremath{\ell}$ allows for the exploration of a multitude of power-law trapping situations in one, two, and three dimensions, ranging from the usual harmonic trap to an almost square-well potential, in which a quasihomogeneous Bose gas can be formed. The usual cigar-shaped and disk-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates obtained in a 1D or 2D harmonic trap take the generic form of a ``finger'' or of a ``hockey puck'' in such Laguerre-Gaussian traps. In addition, for a fixed atom number, higher transition temperatures are obtained in such configurations when compared with a harmonic trap of the same volume. This effect, which results in a substantial acceleration of the condensation dynamics, requires a better but still reasonable focusing of the Laguerre-Gaussian beams.

arXiv:0909.5090•Physical Review A•Aug 23, 2010•38 citations
Diffractive optics are used to create low- and high-order Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams from the output of a diode laser. We examine the mode purities, conversion efficiencies, extinction ratios, and propagation characteristics. We present detailed analyses of the beam profiles for one low-order (LG01)({\mathrm{LG}}_{0}^{1})(LG01​) and one high-order (LG12)({\mathrm{LG}}_{1}^{2})(LG12​) Laguerre-Gaussian mode. Modeling the LG12{\mathrm{LG}}_{1}^{2}LG12​ beam as a superposition of LG modes, we find (99.3\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.9(99.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9%)(99.3\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.9 of the laser intensity in the LG12{\mathrm{LG}}_{1}^{2}LG12​ mode, a mode purity greater than for LG beams created by other methods external to the laser cavity. The high mode purity may be useful in making atom traps for precision measurements and for Bose-Einstein condensation.
Laser cooling and trapping has led to a revolution in Atomic and Molecular physics. Optical traps created with blue-detuned laser beams are desired for numerous studies. One method of creating such a trap is with Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams. Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser beams are interesting because of their orbital angular momentum and radial intensity modes. Previous methods of creating higher-order LG beams did not yield pure LG modes. In collaboration with Digital Optics Corporation diffraction optics have been manufactured that yield higher-order LG laser beams with purities consistent with 100% of the intensity in the desire mode. We then create a donut-mode LG beam with this method to confine atoms from a MOT in both a blue-detuned and a red-detuned optical dipole force trap.
Recent developments in laser physics have called renewed attention to Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beams of paraxial light. In this paper we consider the corresponding LG modes for the two-dimensional harmonic oscillator, which appear in the transversal plane at the laser beam's waist. We see how they arise as Wigner transforms of Hermite–Gaussian modes, and we proceed to find a closed form for their own Wigner transforms, providing an alternative to the methods of Simon and Agarwal. Our main observation is that the Wigner transform intertwines the creation and annihilation operators for the two classes of modes.
Aiming to improve the characterization of systematic effects in optical lattice clocks below 10−18, we propose the implementation of Laguerre-Gaussian modes (LGpl) to shape a multi-site trap in the 1D optical lattice of a Sr optical lattice clock, hence reducing the density of atoms, while preserving the advantages of 1D lattices. In this work, we demonstrate the generation of LG0lmodes with l up to 4, and the injection of these modes into an in-vacuum optical cavity intended for the dipole trapping of atoms. Trapping depths up to 200Erfor an LG04were obtained, a priori making it possible to implement LG modes within the clock sequence. We then propose and evaluate two different methods to load atoms in a LG profile.
It is well known that Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM), resulting from a phase singularity and created from the readily available Hermite-Gaussian (HG) laser beam, carry the potential for providing an unlimited number of orbital angular momentum states that could be used for enhanced processing of quantum info mation (QI). This paper presents a comprehensive set of experimentation on the fabrication and use of computer generated holograms to create LG beams from the HG profile of an ordinary He-Ne laser and characterization thereof in preparation for QI applications.
We investigate theoretically an original route to achieve Bose-Einstein condensation using dark power-law laser traps. We propose to create such traps with two crossing blue-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian optical beams. Controlling their azimuthal order $\ensuremath{\ell}$ allows for the exploration of a multitude of power-law trapping situations in one, two, and three dimensions, ranging from the usual harmonic trap to an almost square-well potential, in which a quasihomogeneous Bose gas can be formed. The usual cigar-shaped and disk-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates obtained in a 1D or 2D harmonic trap take the generic form of a ``finger'' or of a ``hockey puck'' in such Laguerre-Gaussian traps. In addition, for a fixed atom number, higher transition temperatures are obtained in such configurations when compared with a harmonic trap of the same volume. This effect, which results in a substantial acceleration of the condensation dynamics, requires a better but still reasonable focusing of the Laguerre-Gaussian beams.