Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency
We report an experiment in which an atomic excitation is localized to a spatial width that is a factor of 8 smaller than the wavelength of the incident light. The experiment utilizes the sensitivity of the dark state of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to the intensity of the coupling...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2013-09-01
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| Series: | Physical Review X |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.3.031014 |
| _version_ | 1818576048215818240 |
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| author | J. A. Miles Z. J. Simmons D. D. Yavuz |
| author_facet | J. A. Miles Z. J. Simmons D. D. Yavuz |
| author_sort | J. A. Miles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report an experiment in which an atomic excitation is localized to a spatial width that is a factor of 8 smaller than the wavelength of the incident light. The experiment utilizes the sensitivity of the dark state of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to the intensity of the coupling laser beam. A standing-wave coupling laser with a sinusoidally varying intensity yields tightly confined Raman excitations during the EIT process. The excitations, located near the nodes of the intensity profile, have a width of 100 nm. The experiment is performed using ultracold ^{87}Rb atoms trapped in an optical dipole trap, and atomic localization is achieved with EIT pulses that are approximately 100 ns long. To probe subwavelength atom localization, we have developed a technique that can measure the width of the atomic excitations with nanometer spatial resolution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:48:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94fe2f96eb5e4f2e9b51980827922016 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2160-3308 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:48:58Z |
| publishDate | 2013-09-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review X |
| spelling | doaj.art-94fe2f96eb5e4f2e9b519808279220162022-12-21T22:41:28ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082013-09-013303101410.1103/PhysRevX.3.031014Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced TransparencyJ. A. MilesZ. J. SimmonsD. D. YavuzWe report an experiment in which an atomic excitation is localized to a spatial width that is a factor of 8 smaller than the wavelength of the incident light. The experiment utilizes the sensitivity of the dark state of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to the intensity of the coupling laser beam. A standing-wave coupling laser with a sinusoidally varying intensity yields tightly confined Raman excitations during the EIT process. The excitations, located near the nodes of the intensity profile, have a width of 100 nm. The experiment is performed using ultracold ^{87}Rb atoms trapped in an optical dipole trap, and atomic localization is achieved with EIT pulses that are approximately 100 ns long. To probe subwavelength atom localization, we have developed a technique that can measure the width of the atomic excitations with nanometer spatial resolution.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.3.031014 |
| spellingShingle | J. A. Miles Z. J. Simmons D. D. Yavuz Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency Physical Review X |
| title | Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency |
| title_full | Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency |
| title_fullStr | Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency |
| title_short | Subwavelength Localization of Atomic Excitation Using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency |
| title_sort | subwavelength localization of atomic excitation using electromagnetically induced transparency |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.3.031014 |
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