Atomic Diffraction

Phil F. Schewe

Tim Byrnes, Ebubechukwu O. Ilo-Okeke

This chapter discusses the basic physics of atom diffraction. Starting with a short review on the diffraction of light, we describe the absorption of photons by an atom and its subsequent emission, where the atom to changes its momentum and internal state. Assuming a two-level atom, we describe the coherent interactions of atoms with light, showing its effect on the ground state of the atoms. We further illustrate how the light impacts forces on the atom that can be used for trapping it in the light field. Next, we discuss Bragg diffraction of atoms, where the internal state of an atom is unchanged after diffraction. Here the external motional state of the atom is put in a linear superposition of its movement. Finally, we describe the diffraction of atoms by Raman pulses, where the internal state of the atom is changed after diffraction, while achieving directed motion.

Sabine Bödefeld, Martin Wilkens

The diffraction of cold atoms from the standing-wave Schrödinger field of a single atom in a microtrap is investigated. The diffraction patterns for both elastic and inelastic diffraction are derived, where inelastic diffraction is accompanied by transitions of the trapped atom between different trap states. The diffraction pattern corresponding to the elastic channel reveals the Fourier transform of the spatial distribution of the probability density associated with the Schrödinger wavefunction of the trapped atom. Diffraction patterns associated with inelastic channels reveal the convolution of the participating trap states in the momentum representation.

Daniel F. Walls, Gerard J Milburn

V. V. Ivanov, Joshua Isaacs, Mark E. Saffman +6 more

A diffractive optical element (DOE) has been fabricated for creating blue detuned atomic bottle beam traps. The DOE integrates several diffractive lenses for trap creation and imaging of atomic fluorescence. We characterize the performance of the DOE and demonstrate trapping of cold Cesium atoms inside a bottle beam.