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Physical Review Research

Quantum jump spectroscopy of a single neutral atom for precise subwavelength intensity measurements

Lorena C. Bianchet, Natália Alves, Laura Zarraoa, Tomas Lamich, Vindhiya Prakash, Morgan W. Mitchell

Published Nov 14, 2022• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A single trapped neutral atom is used for precise subwavelength intensity measurements. Quantum jumps from a dark to a bright atomic state are used to boost signal-to-noise and avoid systematic errors.
DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.4.l042026

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We present precise, sub-wavelength optical intensity measurement using a single trapped 87^{87}87Rb atom as a sensor. The intensity is measured by the scalar ac Stark shift it produces on the F=1→F′=2F=1 \rightarrow F'=2F=1→F′=2 hyperfine transition of the D2_{2}2​ line, chosen for its F′=F+1F' = F+1F′=F+1 structure and very small tensor polarizability. To boost signal and reduce measurement-induced perturbations, we use a quantum jump spectroscopy technique in which a single absorbed photon on a transition of interest induces the scattering of hundreds of photons on a bright closed transition. The method greatly reduces systematic effects associated with the atomic state, optical polarization, probe power, and atom heating, and gives the atomic temperature as a second spectroscopic observable. We demonstrate the method by measuring the intensity at the focus of an optical tweezer.
Using a single neutral Rb 87 atom held in an optical trap, and “quantum jump” detection of single-photon-initiated state changes, we demonstrate a single-photon quantum jump photodetector (QJPD) with intrinsically narrow bandwidth and strong rejection of out-of-band photons, of interest for detecting weak optical signals in the presence of a strong broadband background. By analyzing fluorescence photon count distributions for the bright and dark states with and without excitation, we measure quantum efficiency of 2.9 ( 2 ) × 10 − 3 , a record for single-pass quantum jump production, and signal-photon-unprovoked “dark jump” rate—analogous to the dark count rate of other detectors —of 3 ( 10 ) × 10 − 3 jumps / s during passive accumulation plus 4.0 ( 4 ) × 10 − 3 jumps per readout, orders of magnitude below those of traditional single-photon detectors. Available methods can substantially improve QJPD quantum efficiency, dark jump rate, bandwidth, and tunability. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
We examine the intensity fluctuations in the fluorescence from a single three-level atom exhibiting quantum jumps. The macroscopic intensity fluctuations revealed in the quantum random telegraph signal of emitted light are the signature of transitions between rapidly emitting and metastable states. We calculate the Mandel Q parameter for such a three-level atom both for incoherent and coherent driving and demonstrate how it provides a sensitive measure of the jumps. We show that the Q parameter reflects the existence of periods of brightness and darkness in the telegraph signal more directly than the second-order intensity correlation function.