Long-Range Atom-Dielectric Interactions

L. Allen, Stig Stenholm

H. Failache, M.–P. Gorza, Solomon M. Saltiel +3 more

We explore experimentally various situations when the van der Waals long-range atom-surface interaction is resonantly enhanced, and eventually turned into repulsion, as due to a resonant coupling between a virtual emission of the excited atom, and a virtual absorption of the dielectric into a surface polariton mode.

Abdullah Alturki, Xiaodong Zeng, Muhammad Suhail Zubairy

Abstract A perfect lens constructed by dielectric and atomic gas slab system is investigated. By utilizing quantum coherence, the atomic gas shows simultaneous negative permittivity and permeability. Meanwhile, the loss can be neglected. The light emitted by one point source in the dielectric can be focused to another point in the other dielectric, which induces strong and long range dipole–dipole interaction. Consequently, large entanglement between two qubits can be generated. Meanwhile, due to the low loss of our model, the entanglement can be preserved for a long time.

G. L. Gattobigio, F. Michaud, G. Labeyrie +2 more

Martine Chevrollier, M. Fichet, Marcos Oriá +2 more

The atomic response to resonant light irradiation near vapor-dielectric interfaces is monitored via high-resolution reflection spectroscopy. One demonstrates that this Doppler-free spectroscopic technique yields a novel probe of atomic dynamics and QED atom-surface long- range interaction. It provides for the first time a spectral evidence of van der Waals attraction, and the method is intrinsically applicable to the observation of surface interaction exerted on excited atoms. Effects related with atomic excitation level, nature of the dielectrics, and atomic collisions are discussed.