The applications in basic science of optical surface devices for atoms are reviewed, with the emphasis on the optical dipole mirrors. The example of experimental realization of such a mirror constructed in our group is shortly presented. Some methods used in its characterization are shown.
Atom optics has seen fast development and vast achievements,and has wide application prospects.The basic principles of the manipulation and control of cold atoms using magnetic and laser fields are briefly introduced,followed by a detailed review of recent progress of geometric and wave atom optics as well as potential applications and the development of atom optics devices Topics include the reflection of atom beams and mirrors,the deflection(refraction) and focusing of atom beams and lenses,the diffraction of atom matter waves and gratings,atom interferometers,and atomic holography.
An atom in front of a surface is one of the simplest and fundamental problem in physics. Yet, it allows testing quantum electrodynamics, while providing potential platforms and interfaces for quantum technologies. Despite its simplicity, combined with strong scientific and technological interests, atom-surface physics, at its fundamental level, remains largely unexplored mainly because of challenges associated with precise control of the atom-surface distance. Nevertheless, substantial breakthroughs have been made over the last two decades. With the development of cold and quantum atomic gases, one has gained further control on atom-surface position, naturally leading to improved precision in the Casimir–Polder interaction measurement. Advances have also been reported in finding experimental knobs to tune and even reverse the Casimir–Polder interaction strength. So far, this has only been achieved for atoms in short-lived excited states, however, the rapid progresses in material sciences, e.g., metamaterials and topological materials has inspired new ideas for controlling the atom-surface interaction in long-lived states. In addition, combining nano-photonic and atom-surface physics is now envisioned for applications in quantum information processing. The first purpose of this Review is to give a general overview on the latest experimental developments in atom-surface physics. The second main objective is to sketch a vision of the future of the field, mainly inspired by the abundant theoretical works and proposals available now in the literature.
Interferometers are ubiquitous devices in optics, consisting of arrangements of totally reflective and semitransparent mirrors, fiber optics, detectors, etc . The smallest possible mirror consists of a single atom, and with recent advances in nanotechnology it is possible to fabricate them and couple them to transmission lines. This can be realized for example with superconducting qubits and superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators or with dipole emitters coupled to surface-plasmon nanowires. Based on a recent proposal [G S Paraoanu, Phys. Rev. A 82 , 023802 (2010)], here we give a brief overview of the two-atom Mach-Zender interferometer. Here we show that both the phase and the amplitude of the output field can be used to extract information about the phase difference between the two arms of the interferometer. Also, we point out that this device can be used as well in the reflection mode.
Interference with atomic and molecular matter waves is a rich branch of atomic physics and quantum optics. It started with atom diffraction from crystal surfaces and the separated oscillatory fields technique used in atomic clocks. Atom interferometry is now reaching maturity as a powerful art with many applications in modern science. In this review the basic tools for coherent atom optics are described including diffraction by nanostructures and laser light, three-grating interferometers, and double wells on atom chips. Scientific advances in a broad range of fields that have resulted from the application of atom interferometers are reviewed. These are grouped in three categories: (i) fundamental quantum science, (ii) precision metrology, and (iii) atomic and molecular physics. Although some experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates are included, the focus of the review is on linear matter wave optics, i.e., phenomena where each single atom interferes with itself.