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arXiv:physics/0404110 · Physical Review A

Atom trapping and guiding with a subwavelength-diameter optical fiber

V. I. Balykin, K. Hakuta, Fam Le Kien, Jian Liang, M. Morinaga

Published Jul 20, 2004• 178 citations
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Abstract

We suggest using an evanescent wave around a thin fiber to trap atoms. We show that the gradient force of a red-detuned evanescent-wave field in the fundamental mode of a silica fiber can balance the centrifugal force when the fiber diameter is about two times smaller than the wavelength of the light and the component of the angular momentum of the atoms along the fiber axis is in an appropriate range. As an example, the system should be realizable for cesium atoms at a temperature of less than $0.29\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}$ using a silica fiber with a radius of $0.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ and a $1.3\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$-wavelength light with a power of about $27\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mW}$.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.70.011401

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Physical Review A•Feb 1, 1996•148 citations
We suggest using an evanescent wave around a thin fiber to trap atoms. We show that the gradient force of a red-detuned evanescent-wave field in the fundamental mode of a silica fiber can balance the centrifugal force when the fiber diameter is about two times smaller than the wavelength of the light and the component of the angular momentum of the atoms along the fiber axis is in an appropriate range. As an example, the system should be realizable for cesium atoms at a temperature of less than 0.29mK0.29\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}0.29mK using a silica fiber with a radius of 0.2\ensuremathμm0.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}0.2\ensuremathμm and a 1.3\ensuremath-\ensuremathμm1.3\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}1.3\ensuremath-\ensuremathμm-wavelength light with a power of about 27mW27\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mW}27mW.
We suggest using a two-color evanescent light field around a subwavelength-diameter fiber to trap and guide atoms. The optical fiber carries a red-detuned light and a blue-detuned light, with both modes far from resonance. When both input light fields are circularly polarized, a set of trapping minima of the total potential in the transverse plane is formed as a ring around the fiber. This design allows confinement of atoms to a cylindrical shell around the fiber. When one or both of the input light fields are linearly polarized, the total potential has two local minimum points in the transverse plane. This design allows confinement of atoms to two straight lines parallel to the fiber axis. Due to the small thickness of the fiber, we can use far-off-resonance fields with substantially differing evanescent decay lengths to produce a net potential with a large depth, a large coherence time, and a large trap lifetime. For example, a 0.2-\ensuremath{\mu}m-radius silica fiber carrying 30 mW of 1.06-\ensuremath{\mu}m-wavelength light and 29 mW of 700-nm-wavelength light, both fields circularly polarized at the input, gives for cesium atoms a trap depth of 2.9 mK, a coherence time of 32 ms, and a recoil-heating-limited trap lifetime of 541 s.
We calculate the optical potentials, i.e., the light shifts, of the ground and excited states of atomic cesium in a two-color evanescent field around a subwavelength-diameter fiber. We show that the light shifts of the 6S1=2 $ 6P3=2 transitions can be minimized by tuning one trapping light to around 934.5 nm in wavelength (central red-detuned magic wavelength) and the other light to around 685.5 nm in wavelength (central blue-detuned magic wavelength). The simultaneous use of the redand blue-detuned magic wavelengths allows state-insensitive two-color trapping and guiding of cesium atoms along the thin fiber. Our results can be used to efficiently load a two-color dipole trap by cesium atoms from a magneto-optical trap and to perform continuous observations.
We calculate the optical potentials, i.e. the light shifts, of the ground and excited states of atomic cesium in a two-color evanescent field around a subwavelength-diameter fiber. We show that the light shifts of the 6S1/2↔6P3/26S_{1/2}\leftrightarrow 6P_{3/2}6S1/2​↔6P3/2​ transitions can be minimized by tuning one trapping light to around 934.5 nm in wavelength (central red-detuned magic wavelength) and the other light to around 685.5 nm in wavelength (central blue-detuned magic wavelength). The simultaneous use of the red- and blue-detuned magic wavelengths allows state-insensitive two-color trapping and guiding of cesium atoms along the thin fiber. Our results can be used to efficiently load a two-color dipole trap by cesium atoms from a magneto-optical trap and to perform continuous observations.
We calculate the optical potentials, i.e. the light shifts, of the ground and excited states of atomic cesium in a two-color evanescent field around a subwavelength-diameter fiber. We show that the light shifts of the 6S1/2leftrightarrow6P3/26S_{1/2}\\leftrightarrow 6P_{3/2}6S1/2​leftrightarrow6P3/2​ transitions can be minimized by tuning one trapping light to around 934.5 nm in wavelength (central red-detuned magic wavelength) and the other light to around 685.5 nm in wavelength (central blue-detuned magic wavelength). The simultaneous use of the red- and blue-detuned magic wavelengths allows state-insensitive two-color trapping and guiding of cesium atoms along the thin fiber. Our results can be used to efficiently load a two-color dipole trap by cesium atoms from a magneto-optical trap and to perform continuous observations.
We use evanescent laser light to guide atoms through hollow-core optical fibers. The light, detuned to the blue side of rubidium's D2{D}_{2}D2​ resonance lines, is launched into the glass region of a hollow capillary fiber and guided through the fiber by total internal reflection from the glass walls. Atoms interacting with the evanescent component of the field are repelled from the wall and guided through the fiber hollow. A second laser tuned to the red side of resonance is used to initially inject the atoms into the evanescent guide. An optical intensity threshold for guiding is observed as the evanescent-field-induced dipole forces exceed the van der Waals forces.