Berlin 2001 – scientific programme

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AMPD: EPS AMPD

AMPD 8: Sitzung 8

AMPD 8.2: Talk

Thursday, April 5, 2001, 10:55–11:30, H104

Dynamics of single–atom motion observed in a high–finesse cavity — •Gerhard Rempe — Max–Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany

Recent years have witnessed remarkable achievements in the ability to control and manipulate individual quantum systems. Among these is an atom strongly coupled to a single-mode optical cavity. Here, the optical properties of the combined system are dramatically different from those of an atom in free space. Hence, the light forces are also different from those in free space. As a consequence, the system exhibits a variety of novel properties which allow one to perform experiments not possible a few years ago. Among these is the ability to observe a slowly moving atom in real time with high spatial and temporal resolution [1,2]. Moreover, it is possible to trap a cold atom in a light field containing only a single photon on average [3,4]. In addition, the system makes possible to realize a novel light source where single atoms emit single photons in a controlled way [5]. Such a light source is interesting for experiments in the rapidly developing field of quantum information processing.

[1] H Mabuchi et al., Opt. Lett. 21 (1996) 1393.

[2] P. Münstermann et al., Opt. Commun. 159 (1999) 63.

[3] C.J. Hood et al., Science 287 (2000) 1447.

[4] P.W.H. Pinkse et al., Nature 404 (2000) 365.

[5] M. Hennrich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (2000) 4872.