aqora

Mutual self-focusing and modulational instability in cold atomic vapors

Mark E. Saffman, Yingxue Wang

We discuss mutual self-focusing of light and cold atoms. Stable stationary solutions corresponding to atom-optical solitons are found as well as modulational instability under conditions of optical self-defocusing.

Nonlinear Guided Waves and Their ApplicationsJan 1, 20050 citations

Transverse pattern formation for counterpropagating laser beams in rubidium vapor

A. Petrossian, M. Pinard, Agnès Maître +2 more

Jan 1, 19920 citations

Transverse optical bistability during the self-defocusing of counterpropagating light beams in a nonlinear medium

Anatoly A. Borshch, M. S. Borodin, V. I. Semioshko

Technical Physics LettersMar 1, 19860 citations

Two-dimensional lattice soliton and pattern formation in a cold Rydberg atomic gas with nonlocal self-defocusing Kerr nonlinearity

Zeyun Shi, Fazal Badshah, Lu Qin

Chaos Solitons & FractalsNov 22, 20227 citations

Transverse optical bistability upon self-defocusing of counterpropagating beams in a nonlinear medium

Anatoly A. Borshch, М. С. Бродин, V. P. Lukomskiǐ +1 more

Soviet Journal of Quantum ElectronicsApr 1, 19870 citations

Transverse self-organization in cold atoms due to opto-mechanical coupling

G. Labeyrie, P. M. Gomes, Enrico Tesio +5 more

Summary form only given. Spontaneous optical pattern formation occurs in a variety of nonlinear systems [1], including hot atomic vapors [2]. On the other hand, the spatial self-organization of atomic ensembles due to opto-mechanical coupling has received a lot of interest in recent years [3].We report on the observation of transverse self-organization of a cold atomic cloud (issued from a magnetooptical trap) under the action of a single pump laser beam. Two symmetries (translation and rotation) in the plane orthogonal to the beam propagation direction are spontaneously broken. We use a simple optical feedback scheme [4], where the transmitted pump beam is retro-reflected to the atoms by a high-reflectivity mirror located at a distance d behind the cloud. This feedback loop transforms phase fluctuations of the transmitted wave into intensity fluctuations, which then react on the atomic medium. If the feedback is positive, a transverse instability can develop leading to the spontaneous apparition of patterns in the transmitted pump intensity profile, as shown in the figure below (left).Using a weak probe beam sent a few tens of μs after the e,tinction of the pump, we demonstrate that the instability also results in a transverse spatial ordering of the atomic medium as shown in the right image. The cold atoms thus e,perience strong spatial bunching due to the dipole force associated to the inhomogeneous intensity distribution. We identified two different instability regimes. For short pump durations (- 1 μs), high pump intensity and cloud optical density, the instability relies on the Kerr effect (electronic nonlinearity). For longer pump durations (- 100 μs), the instability is driven by the opto-mechanical effect, resulting in lower intensity and optical density thresholds than for the electronic nonlinearity. These observations are well reproduced by a theoretical model including the coupled dynamics of the light field and the atomic e,ternal degrees of freedom.Summary form only given. Spontaneous optical pattern formation occurs in a variety of nonlinear systems [1], including hot atomic vapors [2]. On the other hand, the spatial self-organization of atomic ensembles due to opto-mechanical coupling has received a lot of interest in recent years [3].We report on the observation of transverse self-organization of a cold atomic cloud (issued from a magnetooptical trap) under the action of a single pump laser beam. Two symmetries (translation and rotation) in the plane orthogonal to the beam propagation direction are spontaneously broken. We use a simple optical feedback scheme [4], where the transmitted pump beam is retro-reflected to the atoms by a high-reflectivity mirror located at a distance d behind the cloud. This feedback loop transforms phase fluctuations of the transmitted wave into intensity fluctuations, which then react on the atomic medium. If the feedback is positive, a transverse instability can develop leading to the spontaneous apparition of patterns in the transmitted pump intensity profile, as shown in the figure below (left).Using a weak probe beam sent a few tens of μs after the e,tinction of the pump, we demonstrate that the instability also results in a transverse spatial ordering of the atomic medium as shown in the right image. The cold atoms thus e,perience strong spatial bunching due to the dipole force associated to the inhomogeneous intensity distribution. We identified two different instability regimes. For short pump durations (- 1 μs), high pump intensity and cloud optical density, the instability relies on the Kerr effect (electronic nonlinearity). For longer pump durations (- 100 μs), the instability is driven by the opto-mechanical effect, resulting in lower intensity and optical density thresholds than for the electronic nonlinearity. These observations are well reproduced by a theoretical model including the coupled dynamics of the light field and the atomic e,ternal degrees of freedom.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)May 1, 20130 citations

Absolute instability and pattern formation in cold atomic vapors

Abstract

Related papers

Absolute instability and pattern formation in cold atomic vapors

Abstract

Related papers