Quantum theory of a one-atom laser

Tobias Kramer, Mirta Rodríquez Pinilla, Christian Bracher

A. David. Boozer

We consider a three-level model of a one-atom laser, and show that there are two limiting regimes of parameter space, one in which the system behaves like a conventional laser and one in which the system exhibits novel quantum properties. We show that in the first limiting regime, the model can be approximated by semiclassical laser theory, and in the second limiting regime the model can be approximated as an effective two-level atom. We also perform numerical simulations that confirm the limiting behaviors predicted by these approximate descriptions.

M. G. Moore, Pierre Meystre

We formulate a wave-atom-optics theory of the collective atomic recoil laser (CARL) where the atomic center-of-mass motion is treated quantum mechanically. By comparing the predictions of this theory with those of the ray-atom-optics theory, which treats the center-of-mass atomic motion classically, we show that for the case of a far off-resonant pump laser the ray-optics model fails to predict the linear response of the CARL when the temperature is of the order of the recoil temperature or less. This is due to the fact that in this temperature regime one can no longer ignore the effects of matter-wave diffraction on the atomic center-of-mass motion.

J. P. Gordon

Nicholas P. Robins, Craig M. Savage, Elena A. Ostrovskaya

Summary form only given. One of the most striking results in the field of Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) is the possibility of creating an atom laser, using the trapped condensate as a continuously replenished source of a coherent atomic beam. Prototype atom lasers have already been demonstrated experimentally. One fruitful theoretical description is mean field theory, as fully quantised models cannot yet include essential effects, such as nonlinear atom-atom interactions.

Pierre Meystre, Murray Sargent