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Laser Physics

Light transmission of the dense and cold atomic ensembles

Igor M. Sokolov

Published May 1, 2015• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

On the basis of the general theoretical results developed previously (Sokolov et al 2011 J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 112 246) we calculate the light transmission coefficient of a disordered dense ensemble of motionless atomic scatterers. We analyze dependence of this coefficient on thickness of the ensemble as well as on frequency of the light. This analysis shows no manifestation of light localization effects, even in those parameter regimes where the Ioffe–Regel criterion of strong localization is satisfied. An analogous calculation made in the framework of scalar approximation when the vector character of light is neglected demonstrates strong localization under some conditions.

DOI
10.1088/1054-660x/25/6/065202

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On the basis of the general theoretical results developed previously (Sokolov et al 2011 J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 112 246) we calculate the light transmission coefficient of a disordered dense ensemble of motionless atomic scatterers. We analyze dependence of this coefficient on thickness of the ensemble as well as on frequency of the light. This analysis shows no manifestation of light localization effects, even in those parameter regimes where the Ioffe–Regel criterion of strong localization is satisfied. An analogous calculation made in the framework of scalar approximation when the vector character of light is neglected demonstrates strong localization under some conditions.
On the basis of our general theoretical results developed previously [I. M. Sokolov et al., J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 112, 246 (2011)], we calculate the spatial distribution of atoms excited in a dense and cold atomic cloud by weak monochromatic light. We also study the atomic distribution over different Zeeman sublevels of the excited state in different parts of the cloud. The dependence of this distribution of atomic excitation on the density of the atomic ensemble and the frequency of external emission is investigated. We show that in the boundary regions of the cloud, the orientation and alignment of atomic angular momentum takes place. Analysis of the spatial distribution of atomic excitation shows no noticeable signs of light localization effects, even in those parameter regimes where the Ioffe-Regel criterium of strong localization is satisfied. However, comparative calculations performed in the framework of the scalar approximation to the dipole-dipole interaction reveal explicit manifestation of strong localization under some conditions.
Light propagation in disordered media is a fundamental and important problem in optics and photonics. In particular, engineering light-matter interaction in disordered cold atomic ensembles is one of the central topics in modern quantum and atomic optics. The collective response of dense atomic gases under light excitation, which crucially depends on the spatial distribution of atoms and the geometry of the ensemble, has important impacts on quantum technologies like quantum sensors, atomic clocks and quantum information storage. Here we analyze near-resonant light transmission in two-dimensional dense ultracold atomic ensembles with short-range positional correlations. Based on the coupled-dipole simulations under different atom number densities and correlation lengths, we show that the collective effects are strongly influenced by those positional correlations, manifested as significant shifts and broadening or narrowing of transmission resonance lines. We also analyze the eigenstate distribution of different atomic ensembles. This work may provide profound implications on collective and cooperative effects in cold atomic ensembles as well as the study of mesoscopic physics concerning light transport in strongly scattering disorder media.
On the basis of general theoretical results developed previously in [JETP 112, 246 (2011)], we analyze the atomic polarization created by weak monochromatic light in an optically thick, dense, and cold atomic ensemble. We show that the amplitude of the polarization averaged over a uniform random atomic distribution decreases exponentially beyond the boundary regions. The phase of this polarization increases linearly with increasing penetration into the medium. On these grounds, we determine numerically the wavelength of the light in the dense atomic medium, its extinction coefficient, and the complex refractive index and dielectric constant of the medium. The dispersion of the permittivity is investigated for different atomic densities. It is shown that, for dense clouds, the real part of the permittivity is negative in some spectral domains.
Large ensembles of cold, immobile atoms might serve as ideal model systems to study Anderson localization of light. In contrast to dielectric systems, atomic clouds allow for a fine experimental control and admit a precise theoretical description. In this talk, we will review the recent theoretical developments aimed at paving a path towards an experimental realization of Anderson localization of light in three-dimensional (3D) atomic systems. Because atoms are the simplest point scatterers, considering light scattering on them is a good opportunity to illustrate several basic concepts and methods of the localization theory (Thouless conductance and Ioffe-Regel criterion, the mobility edge and the critical behavior, the scaling and self-consistent theories, the finite-size scaling procedure, etc.) on a concrete example. We will show that, surprisingly, Anderson localization of light by atoms is impossible in 3D if no special efforts are made to suppress near-field interactions between atoms. The necessary suppression may be achieved by subjecting the atoms to a constant external magnetic field or by arranging them in a crystalline structure in which a small amount of disorder is introduced. However, even when spatially localized states appear in a system of immobile atoms, their experimental observation remains challenging because of the residual thermal motion of atoms.