Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE
Quantum phenomena in the radiation interaction of atoms
HERBERT WALTHER
Abstract
In this paper, recent experiments performed in our laboratory are reviewed, which deal with the investigation of quantum phenomena in the radiation interaction of single atoms. The first part describes experiments in single mode cavities, using the one-atom maser or micro maser, and in the second part experiments with ion traps are summarized. The latter experiments concentrate on the investigation of resonance fluorescence. In addition, new experimental proposals using ultracold atoms in cavities and traps are discussed. In those future experiments the interplay between atomic waves and light waves is important, leading to new phenomena in radiation-atom interaction, such as the modification of the Rabi vacuum splitting.