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Quantum-Atom Optics Downunder (QAO)

Subwavelength State Selective Atom Localization via STIRAP

V. Ahufinger, J. Mompart, R. Corbalán, Yu. V. Loiko, Carles Serrat, Ramon A. Vilaseca

Published Jan 1, 2007• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We propose a new method based on the STIRAP technique to obtain state selective atom localization below the diffraction limit. Three-level atoms in a lambda configuration interact with a travelling wave beam and a standing wave field coupled to adjacent transitions under STIRAP conditions. In this configuration, atoms at the nodes of the standing wave do not interact with the light fields and become localized in regions in the nanoscale regime. The absence of interaction of the localized atoms with the fields guarantees the validity of the Raman-Nath approximation. Applications to Bose Einstein condensates, possible due to the full coherence of the STIRAP process, have been explored.

DOI
10.1364/qao.2007.qwe15

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We propose a new method based on the STIRAP technique to obtain state selective atom localization below the diffraction limit. Three-level atoms in a lambda configuration interact with a travelling wave beam and a standing wave field coupled to adjacent transitions under STIRAP conditions. In this configuration, atoms at the nodes of the standing wave do not interact with the light fields and become localized in regions in the nanoscale regime. The absence of interaction of the localized atoms with the fields guarantees the validity of the Raman-Nath approximation. Applications to Bose Einstein condensates, possible due to the full coherence of the STIRAP process, have been explored.
We propose the subwavelength localization via adiabatic passage (SLAP) technique to coherently achieve state-selective patterning of matter waves well beyond the diffraction limit. The SLAP technique consists in coupling two partially overlapping and spatially structured laser fields to three internal levels of the matter wave yielding state-selective localization at those positions where the adiabatic passage process does not occur. We show that by means of this technique matter wave localization down to the single nanometer scale can be achieved. We analyze in detail the potential implementation of the SLAP technique for nanolithography with an atomic beam of metastable ${\text{Ne}}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}$ and for coherent patterning of a two-component 87Rb^{87}\text{R}\text{b}87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate.
We consider a method of sub-wavelength superlocalization and patterning of atomic matter waves via a two dimensional stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (2D STIRAP) process. An atom initially prepared in its ground level interacts with a doughnut-shaped optical vortex pump beam and a traveling wave Stokes laser beam with a constant (top-hat) intensity profile in space. The beams are sent in a counter-intuitive temporal sequence, in which the Stokes pulse precedes the pump pulse. The atoms interacting with both the traveling wave and the vortex beam are transferred to a final state through the 2D STIRAP, while those located at the core of the vortex beam remain in the initial state, creating a super-narrow nanometer scale atomic spot in the spatial distribution of ground state atoms. By numerical simulations we show that the 2D STIRAP approach outperforms the established method of coherent population trapping, yielding much stronger confinement of atomic excitation. Numerical simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation show that using such a method one can create 2D bright and dark solitonic structures in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). The method allows one to circumvent the restriction set by the diffraction limit inherent to conventional methods for formation of localized solitons, with a full control over the position and size of nanometer resolution defects.
Abstract In the regime of the Raman–Nath approximation we show coherence control of three-dimensional atom localization with high precession and resolution via probe absorption when a five-level atomic system is cyclically driven by three orthogonal standing optical wave-fields together with one traveling optical wave-field and two microwave wave-fields in an optical cavity. We apply wavevector mismatch and subsequently the Doppler-free technique to the atom localization system to minimize the imprecision in the atom’s position in the standing wave-field caused by its high velocity in the cavity. The position of the single atom is freed from the two effects by collinear coupling of the driving fields with the atom in the cavity. The atomic position is controlled in the sub-wavelength domain of the standing wave-field with probability and high quality resolution by adjusting the relative phase and amplitude of the driving fields.
We propose a scheme for subwavelength localization of an atom conditioned upon the absorption of a weak probe field at a particular frequency. Manipulating atom-field interaction on a certain transition by applying drive fields on nearby coupled transitions leads to interesting effects in the absorption spectrum of the weak probe field. We exploit this fact and employ a four-level system with three driving fields and a weak probe field, where one of the drive fields is a standing-wave field of a cavity. We show that the position of an atom along this standing wave is determined when probe-field absorption is measured. We find that absorption of the weak probe field at a certain frequency leads to subwavelength localization of the atom in either of the two half-wavelength regions of the cavity field by appropriate choice of the system parameters. We term this result as sub-half-wavelength localization to contrast it with the usual atom localization result of four peaks spread over one wavelength of the standing wave. We observe two localization peaks in either of the two half-wavelength regions along the cavity axis.
Abstract Three-dimensional (3D) atom localization at subwavelength scales is of critical interest for advanced applications in nanolithography and laser cooling. Despite significant efforts, achieving high spatial resolution in all three dimensions remains a challenging task. In this work, we propose and analytically investigate a novel scheme for 3D subwavelength atom localization using a closed-loop five-level atomic system driven by a phase-controlled microwave field. The localization mechanism is based on the position-dependent absorption of a weak probe field in the presence of three orthogonal standing-wave coupling fields. The inclusion of a magnetically allowed microwave transition introduces a controllable relative phase ( ϕ ), enabling coherent control over the atomic spatial distribution. Our analysis demonstrates that, by judiciously tuning the system parameters—including probe detuning, relative phase, and quantum interference arising from spontaneous emission—the atom can be localized to a highly confined region with a spatial resolution as high as ∼ 0.03 λ , where λ is the optical wavelength. The results highlight the critical role of phase control and coherent field interaction in enhancing the localization precision. This technique offers a robust and versatile tool for achieving high-resolution 3D atom localization and may pave the way for practical implementations in nanoscale fabrication and quantum technologies.
In this work, the authors proposed a novel state selective atom localization and patterning scheme named subwavelength localization via adiabatic passage (SLAP) that consists in coupling two partially overlapping and spatially structured laser fields to three internal levels of the matter wave yielding state-selective localization at those positions where the adiabatic passage process does not occur. Compared to the coherent population trapping (CPT) based techniques, the SLAP technique presents several important advantages. The paper describes the SLAP technique to coherently achieve state-selective patterning and addressing of matter waves and analyze its potential implementation for nanolithography with an atomic beam of metastable Ne and for coherent patterning of a two-component87Rb BEC.