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AIP conference proceedings

Free space coupling to a single ion

Gabriel Hetet, L. Slodička, S. Gerber, Markus Hennrich, R. Blatt, Timothy C. Ralph, Ping Koy Lam

Published Jan 1, 2011• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report absorption experiments from a single trapped atom. We focus a weak and narrow band Gaussian light beam onto an optically cooled 138Ba+ ion using a high numerical aperture lens. Extinction of this beam is observed with measured values of up to 1.35%. Using this result, we then demonstrate Electromagnetically‐Induced‐Transparency (EIT) of the ion and present a novel set‐up where the single ion is used as a mirror in a Fabry‐Perrot type cavity.

DOI
10.1063/1.3630176

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Fortschritte der Physik•Apr 24, 2003•4 citations
We report absorption experiments from a single trapped atom. We focus a weak and narrow band Gaussian light beam onto an optically cooled 138Ba+ ion using a high numerical aperture lens. Extinction of this beam is observed with measured values of up to 1.35%. Using this result, we then demonstrate Electromagnetically‐Induced‐Transparency (EIT) of the ion and present a novel set‐up where the single ion is used as a mirror in a Fabry‐Perrot type cavity.
In this Letter, we report an absorption spectroscopy experiment and the observation of electromagnetically induced transparency from a single trapped atom. We focus a weak and narrow band Gaussian light beam onto an optically cooled 138Ba+ ion using a high numerical aperture lens. Extinction of this beam is observed with measured values of up to 1.35%. We demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency of the ion by tuning a strong control beam over a two-photon resonance in a three-level Λ-type system. The probe beam extinction is inhibited by more than 75% due to population trapping.
By tightly focusing a laser field onto a single cold ion trapped in front of a far-distant dielectric mirror, we could observe a quantum electrodynamic effect whereby the ion behaves as the optical mirror of a Fabry-Pérot cavity. We show that the amplitude of the laser field is significantly altered due to a modification of the electromagnetic mode structure around the atom in a novel regime in which the laser intensity is already changed by the atom alone. We propose a direct application of this system as a quantum memory for single photons.
We measured the extinction of a focused light beam by a single 87Rb atom localized in an optical dipole trap and found a value of 7.2% for a focused Gaussian beam resonantly interacting with an atomic two-level system. Various models describing interaction of an atom with a focused light field are compared to explain our experimental result. Our experiment suggests that a strong coupling may be achieved without cavity assistance. This opens new perspectives for a development of an efficient atom-photon interface for Quantum Information processing.
We perform a free-space measurement and control of the refractive index of a single trapped ion in the presence of quantum interference effects. The single atom refractive index is characterized by the Faraday rotation of a laser field tightly focused onto a trapped and laser-cooled barium ion. It is tuned using the internal ion state that is optically controlled via a VVV or a $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ scheme. Measurements of the phase shift associated with an electromagnetically induced transparency are then performed and the internal state on the qubit transition is read-out with a detection fidelity of ($98\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$)%.
We demonstrate cooling of the motion of a single neutral atom confined by a dipole trap inside a high-finesse optical resonator. Cooling of the vibrational motion results from electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)--like interference in an atomic $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type configuration, where one transition is strongly coupled to the cavity mode and the other is driven by an external control laser. Good qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions is found for the explored parameter ranges. Further, we demonstrate EIT cooling of atoms in the dipole trap in free space, reaching the ground state of axial motion. By means of a direct comparison with the cooling inside the resonator, the role of the cavity becomes evident by an additional cooling resonance. These results pave the way towards a controlled interaction among atomic, photonic, and mechanical degrees of freedom.
Abstract The presence of mirrors modifies both the coherent coupling of an atom to a light mode and its spontaneous emission into the mode [1]. We study such cavity QED effects experimentally with single ions and optical cavities. We focus on two examples which are equally interesting as fundamental systems and for application in quantum information processing. (i) By retroreflecting the fluorescence of a single trapped Ba+ ion with a mirror 25 cm away, we observe inhibition and enhancement of the atom's spontaneous emission. When two ions are trapped, the distant mirror creates super‐ and subradiance. (ii) With a single trapped Ca+ ion we demonstrate coherent coupling of its narrow S1/2 – D5/2 “qubit” transition to a mode of a high‐finesse optical cavity. We also achieve deterministic coupling of the cavity standing wave to the ion's vibrational state by controlling the ion's position with nanometer‐precision and selectively exciting vibrational state‐changing transitions.