We describe experimental work on a nanofiber-based ring resonator that enables strong interactions between the cavity-enhanced field and atoms near the nanofiber surface. This “all fiber” cavity has applications in nonlinear spectroscopy and quantum optics.
We describe a fiber ring resonator comprised of a relatively long loop of standard single-mode fiber with a short nanofiber segment. The evanescent mode of the nanofiber segment allows the cavity-enhanced field to interact with atoms in close proximity to the nanofiber surface. We report on an experiment using a warm atomic vapor and low-finesse cavity, and briefly discuss the potential for reaching the strong coupling regime of cavity QED by using trapped atoms and a high-finesse cavity of this kind.
Coupling neutral atoms to nanoscale waveguides is a promising approach for realizing light-matter quantum interfaces. In combination with resonator enhancement of the guided light, such systems provide powerful tools for a broad range of applications. They even allow one to reach and study new paradigms of light-matter interaction such as the multimode strong coupling regime of resonator quantum electrodynamics (QED), where the atom-resonator interaction strength exceeds the free spectral range of the resonator. In my talk, I will present our current experimental status on the realization of such a novel type of resonator QED system, where we interface a fiber-ring-resonator that contains a nanofiber-part with an ensemble of laser-cooled cesium atoms from a magneto-optical trap.
Optical nanofibers provide a versatile platform for exploring strong light-matter interactions at the single-quantum level, a central goal of quantum optics. Their subwavelength diameter supports tightly confined guided modes with strong evanescent fields, enabling efficient coupling between photons and nearby atoms. By incorporating fiber Bragg gratings, nanofibers can form fully fiber-integrated high-finesse cavities, combining strong atom-photon coupling with efficient and low-loss optical input-output interfacing in the setting of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). In parallel, nanofiber systems naturally realize waveguide QED, where atoms interact strongly with propagating photons in a one-dimensional geometry. In this review, we introduce the underlying physical principles, summarize key experimental techniques and representative phenomena, and discuss prospects for applications in quantum information processing, quantum networks, and related quantum technologies.
Abstract Recent advances in the coherent control of single quanta of light, photons , is a topic of prime interest, and is discussed under the banner of quantum photonics . In the last decade, the subwavelength diameter waist of a tapered optical fiber, referred to as an optical nanofiber , has opened promising new avenues in the field of quantum optics, paving the way toward a versatile platform for quantum photonics applications. The key feature of the technique is that the optical field can be tightly confined in the transverse direction while propagating over long distances as a guided mode and enabling strong interaction with the surrounding medium in the evanescent region. This feature has led to surprising possibilities to manipulate single atoms and fiber-guided photons, e.g. the efficient channeling of emission from single atoms and solid-state quantum emitters into the fiber-guided modes, high optical depth with a few atoms around the nanofiber, trapping atoms around a nanofiber, and atomic memories for fiber-guided photons. Furthermore, implementing a moderate longitudinal confinement in nanofiber cavities has enabled the strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics to be reached, and the long-range dipole–dipole interaction between quantum emitters mediated by the nanofiber offers a platform for quantum nonlinear optics with an ensemble of atoms. In addition, the presence of a longitudinal component of the guided field has led to unique capabilities for chiral light–matter interactions on nanofibers. In this article, we review the key developments of the nanofiber technology toward a vision for quantum photonics on an all-fiber interface.
We experimentally demonstrate a ring geometry all-fiber cavity system for cavity quantum electrodynamics with an ensemble of cold atoms. The fiber cavity contains a nanofiber section which mediates atom-light interactions through an evanescent field. We observe well-resolved, vacuum Rabi splitting of the cavity transmission spectrum in the weak driving limit due to a collective enhancement of the coupling rate by the ensemble of atoms within the evanescent field, and we present a simple theoretical model to describe this. In addition, we demonstrate a method to control and stabilize the resonant frequency of the cavity by utilizing the thermal properties of the nanofiber.
We experimentally realize an optical fiber ring resonator that includes a tapered section with a subwavelength-diameter waist. In this section, the guided light exhibits a significant evanescent field which allows for efficient interfacing with optical emitters. A commercial tunable fiber beam splitter provides simple and robust coupling to the resonator. Key parameters of the resonator such as the out-coupling rate, free spectral range, and birefringence can be adjusted. Thanks to the low taper- and coupling-losses, the resonator exhibits an unloaded finesse of F=75±1, sufficient for reaching the regime of strong coupling for emitters placed in the evanescent field. The system is ideally suited for trapping ensembles of laser-cooled atoms along the nanofiber section. Based on measured parameters, we estimate that the system can serve as a platform for optical multimode strong coupling experiments. Finally, we discuss the possibilities of using the resonator for applications based on chiral quantum optics.