Multi-Photon Momentum Transfer from Light to Atoms.

Peter J. Martin

B. A. Zon, Nikolai L. Manakov, Л. П. Рапопорт

Edina Sarajlic, Steven Chu, Andreas Wicht

We present an analytical and numerical analysis aiming at the precise understanding of the photon-to-atom momentum transfer, which is important e.g. for the analysis of systematic effects in light pulse precision atom interferometry.

Edward A. Hinds, Stephen Mark Barnett

We consider forces on an atom due to a plane-wave light pulse. The standard view of the optical dipole force indicates that red-detuned light should attract the atom towards high intensity. While the atom is inside the pulse, this would increase the average momentum per photon from p_{0} to p_{0}n, where n is the average refractive index due to the presence of the atom. We show, however, that this is the wrong conclusion and that the dispersive forces repel the atom from the light in this particular case, giving the photons a momentum p_{0}/n. This leads us to identify Abraham's optical momentum with the kinetic momentum transfer. The form due to Minkowski is similarly associated with the canonical momentum. We consider the possibility of demonstrating this in the laboratory, and we note an unexpected connection with the Aharonov-Casher effect.

Joseph H. Eberly, Jerzy S. Krasiński

William D. Phillips, Mikkel F. Andersen, Pierre Cladé +5 more

We demonstrate the coherent, quantized transfer of the orbital angular momentum of light to a Bose-Einstein condensate of sodium atoms by means of a stimulated, two-photon transition between the static, non-rotating BEC and a rotating state moving with the linear momentum of two photons. By reversing the transfer of linear momentum, without any angular momentum, we create either vortex states (in a simply connected trap) or persistent atom currents (in a toroidal trap). The persistent current in the toroidal trap lasts about 20 times longer than a vortex under similar conditions in the simply connected trap.