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arXiv:physics/0605134 · Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Exploring the van der Waals atom-surface attraction in the nanometric range

M. Fichet, G. Dutier, Alexander Yarovitski, P Todorov, I. Hamdi, Isabelle Maurin, Solomon M. Saltiel, David G. Sarkisyan, M.–P. Gorza, Daniel Bloch, M. Ducloy

Published Feb 23, 2007• 93 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The van der Waals atom-surface attraction, scaling as C 3 z −3 for z the atom-surface distance, is expected to be valid in the distance range 1–1000 nm, covering 8–10 orders of magnitudes in the interaction energy. A Cs vapour nanocell allows us to analyze the spectroscopic modifications induced by the atom-surface attraction on the 6 P 3/2 → 6 D 5/2 transition. The measured C 3 value is found to be independent of the thickness in the explored range 40–130 nm, and is in agreement with an elementary theoretical prediction. We also discuss the specific interest of exploring short distances and large interaction energy.

DOI
10.1209/0295-5075/77/54001

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The van der Waals atom-surface attraction, scaling as C 3 z −3 for z the atom-surface distance, is expected to be valid in the distance range 1–1000 nm, covering 8–10 orders of magnitudes in the interaction energy. A Cs vapour nanocell allows us to analyze the spectroscopic modifications induced by the atom-surface attraction on the 6 P 3/2 → 6 D 5/2 transition. The measured C 3 value is found to be independent of the thickness in the explored range 40–130 nm, and is in agreement with an elementary theoretical prediction. We also discuss the specific interest of exploring short distances and large interaction energy.
Selective reflection spectroscopy at an interface with a low-density resonant vapor, especially when combined with a frequency modulation technique, is a high-resolution Doppler-free tool for probing atoms interacting with a surface. We analyze different types of relevant surface interaction, emphasizing the spectral consequences of a van der Waals surface attraction associated to a z−3z^{-3}z−3 potential dependence (zzz: distance to the wall). We present detailed results of two series of experiments at a Cs vapor/dielectric window interface on the 6S1/2_{1/2}1/2​-6P3/2_{3/2}3/2​ (λ=852\lambda = 852λ=852 nm) resonance line and on the 6S1/2_{1/2}1/2​-7P second resonance line (λ=455\lambda = 455λ=455 nm and 459 nm). Lineshape analysis at various pressures consistently shows that a van der Waals-type surface attraction has to be considered to interpret strong lineshape distortions and resonance shift. The attractive strengths are found to be equal respectively to ≈2\approx 2≈2 kHz μ\muμm3^33 and ≈20\approx 20≈20 kHz μ\muμm3^33, independently of the considered hyperfine component, within the experimental accuracy. It yields also typical parameters of pressure broadening and shift, which are shown to originate in collisional processes, at densities where the medium is opaque. Theoretical expectations for the VW strength are discussed on the basis of the results of atomic theory. The predicted values are smaller, by a typical factor of 2, than those deduced from the experiments. The validity of the theory, when applied to a dielectric interface, is discussed and seems questionable when the frequency of virtual atomic transitions involved in the van der Waals attraction potential lies in the dielectric window absorption range.
Since the recent realization of extremely thin vapour cells (local thickness: 20-1000 nm), we investigate the optical properties of these 1-D confined vapours. Aside from their interest for Doppler-free spectroscopy, nanocells offer a new tool to evaluate collisional shift and broadening, yielding an access to the open problem of collisions under confinement. It also allows probing of the atom-surface interaction in a range of unusual short distances. The experimental exploration of the distance dependence, normally evolving according to the z −3 van der Waals (vW) dependence ( z : the atom-surface distance), is worth doing because it could be affected by imperfections of the real surface, such as roughness, adsorbed impurities or charges. A detailed lineshape analysis is now under progress, with tight constraints imposed to the fitting by the twin information brought by simultaneous reflection and transmission spectra. Another issue is a possible resonant enhancement, susceptible to induce a repulsive vW, due to the coupling between atom excitation and a surface mode.
The high sensitivity of Laser Spectroscopy has made possible the exploration of atomic resonances in newly designed "nanometric" gas cells, whose local thickness varies from 20nm to more than 1000 nm. Following the initial observation of the optical analogous of the coherent Dicke microwave narrowing, the newest prospects include the exploration of long-range atom surface van der Waals interaction with spatial resolution in an unprecedented range of distances, modification of atom dielectric resonant coupling under the influence of the coupling between the two neighbouring dielectric media, and even the possible modification of interatomic collisions processes under the effect of confinement.