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arXiv:physics/0211091 · Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Coherent backscattering of light by cold atoms: Theory meets experiment

G. Labeyrie, Dominique Delande, Cord Axel Müller, Christian Miniatura, Robin Kaiser

Published Feb 1, 2003• 47 citations
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Abstract

Coherent backscattering (CBS) of quasi-resonant light by cold atoms presents some specific features due to the internal structure of the atomic scatterers. We present the first quantitative comparison between the experimentally observed CBS cones and Monte Carlo calculations which take into account the shape of the atomic cloud as well as the internal atomic structure.

DOI
10.1209/epl/i2003-00173-x

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Coherent backscattering (CBS) of quasi-resonant light by cold atoms presents some specific features due to the internal structure of the atomic scatterers. We present the first quantitative comparison between the experimentally observed CBS cones and Monte Carlo calculations which take into account the shape of the atomic cloud as well as the internal atomic structure.
When a quasiresonant laser beam illuminates an optically thick cloud of laser-cooled rubidium atoms, the average diffuse intensity reflected off the sample is enhanced in a narrow angular range around the direction of exact backscattering. This phenomenon is known as coherent backscattering (CBS). By detuning the laser from resonance, we are able to modify the light scattering mean-free path inside the sample and we record accordingly the variations of the CBS cone shape. We then compare the experimental data with theoretical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations including the effect of the light polarization and of the internal structure of the atoms. We confirm that the internal structure strongly affects the enhancement factor of the cone and we show that the unusual shape of the atomic medium---approximately a spherically-symmetric, Gaussian density profile---strongly affects the width and shape of the cone.
Summary form only given. A wave propagating in a strongly scattering medium experiences many scattering events which rapidly erase the memory of its initial direction on a typical scale length known as the transport mean free path. It is now known that interference can profoundly alter the wave transport, a spectacular manifestation being weak and strong localisation of waves. We shall briefly review the basics of coherent backscattering (CBS) and the results obtained with classical scatterers. We shall then describe our experiment using cold atoms and discuss the experimental data. The non trivial role of the atomic quantum internal structure in the enhancement reduction will be singled out in a simple situation and results of analytical calculations will be presented.