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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Beam propagation in atomic waveguides

E. Arevalo, Ángela M. Guzmán

Published Jul 6, 1999• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We perform modal analysis and ultracold atomic beam propagation in hollow optical fibers. The eigenmodes and modal propagation constants of the atomic waveguide are determined by numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation for the center-of-mass motion. The existence of a threshold de Broglie wavelength for the fundamental mode is predicted. Beam propagation is performed by modal expansion of the wavefunction on a truncated basis of eigenmodes of the atomic waveguide. The evolution of the atomic probability density profile along the waveguide for a non cylindrical atomic beam is shown.

DOI
10.1117/12.358424

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Ultracold atoms whose de Broglie wavelength is of the same order as an extended confining potential can experience waveguiding along the potential. When the transverse kinetic energy of the atoms is sufficiently low, they can be guided in the lowest order mode of the confining potential by analogy with light guided by a single mode optical fiber. We have obtained the first images of the transverse mode structure of guided matter waves in a confining potential with up to 6565%65 of atoms in the lowest order mode. The coherence of the guided atomic de Broglie waves is demonstrated by the diffraction pattern produced when incident upon a two dimensional periodic structure. Such coherent waveguides will be important atom optic components in devices with applications such as atom holography and atom interferometry.