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Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

Multiple thresholds and many-atom dynamics in the cavity QED microlaser

Christopher M. Fang-Yen, Chung‐Chieh Yu, Aljalal, Ramachandra Rao Dasari, Michael S. Feld, �� Há, Kyungwon An

Published Jun 25, 2003• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Summary form only given. The cavity QED microlaser is a laser based on the ideal model of atoms undergoing well-defined interaction with a single mode of an optical cavity. It is the optical analogue of the micromaser. Due to the coherent nature of the atom-cavity interaction, the microlaser exhibits behavior foreign to conventional lasers.

DOI
10.1109/qels.2002.1031011

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Observation of multiple thresholds in the many-atom cavity QED microlaser

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We report the observation of multiple laser thresholds in the many-atom cavity QED microlaser. Traveling-wave coupling and a supersonic atom beam are used to create a well-defined atom-cavity interaction. Multiple thresholds are observed as jumps in photon number due to oscillatory gain. Although the number of intracavity atoms is large, up to $N\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{3}$, the dynamics of the microlaser agree with a single-atom theory. This agreement is supported by quantum trajectory simulations of a many-atom microlaser and a semiclassical microlaser theory. We discuss the relation of the microlaser with the micromaser and conventional lasers.

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Multiple Thresholds and Many-Atom Dynamics in the Cavity QED Microlaser

Christopher M. Fang-Yen

This thesis describes a study of a cavity QED microlaser in which many atoms are present simultaneously and atom-cavity interaction is well-defined. The microlaser is found to display multiple thresholds analogous to first-order phase transitions of the cavity field. Hysteresis is observed as a function of atom-cavity detuning and number of atoms. Data is compared with a rate equation model and fully quantized treatment based on micromaser theory. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found when the cavity is resonant with atoms of the most probable velocity, but long lifetimes of metastable states preclude the observation of true steady-state transition points. For nonzero atom-cavity detuning the microlaser displays broadenings and shifts which are not yet well-understood. Quantum trajectory simulations are performed to investigate many-atom and finite transit time effects in the microlaser. We show that over a wide range of parameters the many-atom microlaser scales with the single-atom theory, with a perturbation in the photon statistics due to cavity decay during the atom transit time.

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From micromaser to microlasers

HERBERT WALTHER

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Microlaser: a fundamental quantum generator of light

Kyungwon An, Ramachandra Rao Dasari, Michael S. Feld

We have achieved the first realization of a single atom microlaser, a laser oscillator with only one atom in an optical resonator. In the experiment a beam of two-level barium atoms traverses an ultrahigh Q single-mode cavity. The atoms are inverted by a (pi) -pulse field before they enter the cavity. Laser oscillation ((lambda) equals 791 nm) has been observed, with the mean number of atoms inside the mode <N> as small as 0.1, resulting in the mean number of photons in the mode <N> or 0.14. To understand the results quantitatively we used a fully-quantized one-atom microlaser theory adapted from its counterpart micromaser theory. The present theory was found to be in good agreement with the data for small <N> and <n>. Discrepancy between experiment and theory was observed for <n> very much greater than 1 and <N> approximately equal to 1. This discrepancy may be explained by the standing-wave nature of the cavity mode, in combination with the saturation effect occurring at large cavity photon number, as well as by the breakdown of single-atom interaction assumption in the theory for <N> greater than or equal to 1.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 6, 1996•2 citations

The single atom laser: a quantized Rabi oscillator

Kyungwon An, Changhuei Yang, Ramachandra Rao Dasari +1 more

Summary form only given. We have recently developed the first working single-atom microlaser in which coherent light is generated by means of the interaction of a single two-level atom with a single mode of the radiation field. The photon generation process follows the Jaynes-Cummings model, and photon buildup is initiated by vacuum Rabi oscillations, not by spontaneous emission as in conventional lasers. We measured the mean photon number in the cavity (n) as a function of the average number of atoms present there . Laser oscillation was observed with as small as 0.1, resulting in (n) of 0.1.

•Jun 7, 1996•0 citations

Microlaser: A laser with One Atom in an Optical Resonator

Kyungwon An, James Childs, Ramachandra Rao Dasari +1 more

We have demonstrated laser oscillation with one atom in an optical resonator. In our experiment a beam of $^{138}\mathrm{Ba}$ atoms traverses a single-mode cavity with a finesse of 8 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{5}$. The atoms are excited by a $\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse from the $^{1}S_{0}$ ground state to the $^{3}P_{1}(m=0)$ excited state before they enter the cavity. Laser oscillation at 791 nm ($^{3}P_{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{1}S_{0}$) has been observed, with the mean number of atoms inside the mode ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, resulting in the mean number of photons inside the cavity changing from 0.14 to 11. The results are in good agreement with a fully quantized micromaser theory adapted to our experiment.

Physical Review Letters•Dec 19, 1994•283 citations
Summary form only given. The cavity QED microlaser is a laser based on the ideal model of atoms undergoing well-defined interaction with a single mode of an optical cavity. It is the optical analogue of the micromaser. Due to the coherent nature of the atom-cavity interaction, the microlaser exhibits behavior foreign to conventional lasers.
We report the observation of multiple laser thresholds in the many-atom cavity QED microlaser. Traveling-wave coupling and a supersonic atom beam are used to create a well-defined atom-cavity interaction. Multiple thresholds are observed as jumps in photon number due to oscillatory gain. Although the number of intracavity atoms is large, up to $N\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{3}$, the dynamics of the microlaser agree with a single-atom theory. This agreement is supported by quantum trajectory simulations of a many-atom microlaser and a semiclassical microlaser theory. We discuss the relation of the microlaser with the micromaser and conventional lasers.
This thesis describes a study of a cavity QED microlaser in which many atoms are present simultaneously and atom-cavity interaction is well-defined. The microlaser is found to display multiple thresholds analogous to first-order phase transitions of the cavity field. Hysteresis is observed as a function of atom-cavity detuning and number of atoms. Data is compared with a rate equation model and fully quantized treatment based on micromaser theory. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found when the cavity is resonant with atoms of the most probable velocity, but long lifetimes of metastable states preclude the observation of true steady-state transition points. For nonzero atom-cavity detuning the microlaser displays broadenings and shifts which are not yet well-understood. Quantum trajectory simulations are performed to investigate many-atom and finite transit time effects in the microlaser. We show that over a wide range of parameters the many-atom microlaser scales with the single-atom theory, with a perturbation in the photon statistics due to cavity decay during the atom transit time.
We have achieved the first realization of a single atom microlaser, a laser oscillator with only one atom in an optical resonator. In the experiment a beam of two-level barium atoms traverses an ultrahigh Q single-mode cavity. The atoms are inverted by a (pi) -pulse field before they enter the cavity. Laser oscillation ((lambda) equals 791 nm) has been observed, with the mean number of atoms inside the mode <N> as small as 0.1, resulting in the mean number of photons in the mode <N> or 0.14. To understand the results quantitatively we used a fully-quantized one-atom microlaser theory adapted from its counterpart micromaser theory. The present theory was found to be in good agreement with the data for small <N> and <n>. Discrepancy between experiment and theory was observed for <n> very much greater than 1 and <N> approximately equal to 1. This discrepancy may be explained by the standing-wave nature of the cavity mode, in combination with the saturation effect occurring at large cavity photon number, as well as by the breakdown of single-atom interaction assumption in the theory for <N> greater than or equal to 1.
Summary form only given. We have recently developed the first working single-atom microlaser in which coherent light is generated by means of the interaction of a single two-level atom with a single mode of the radiation field. The photon generation process follows the Jaynes-Cummings model, and photon buildup is initiated by vacuum Rabi oscillations, not by spontaneous emission as in conventional lasers. We measured the mean photon number in the cavity (n) as a function of the average number of atoms present there . Laser oscillation was observed with as small as 0.1, resulting in (n) of 0.1.
We have demonstrated laser oscillation with one atom in an optical resonator. In our experiment a beam of 138Ba^{138}\mathrm{Ba}138Ba atoms traverses a single-mode cavity with a finesse of 8 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 105{10}^{5}105. The atoms are excited by a $\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse from the 1S0^{1}S_{0}1S0​ ground state to the 3P1(m=0)^{3}P_{1}(m=0)3P1​(m=0) excited state before they enter the cavity. Laser oscillation at 791 nm ($^{3}P_{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{1}S_{0}$) has been observed, with the mean number of atoms inside the mode ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, resulting in the mean number of photons inside the cavity changing from 0.14 to 11. The results are in good agreement with a fully quantized micromaser theory adapted to our experiment.