Düsseldorf 2007 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 61: Poster Quanteneffekte

Q 61.11: Poster

Thursday, March 22, 2007, 16:30–18:30, Poster C

Towards negative refraction in the optical frequency domain — •Peter P. Orth, Jörg Evers, and Christoph H. Keitel — Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

Materials with a negative index of refraction have received increasing interest over the last years [1] and a particular aim is to obtain negative refraction in the optical frequency range. As an alternative approach to metamaterials, recently, it was proposed to use dense atomic ensembles with a level structure that allows both for magnetic and electric response at the same frequency, as required for a negative index of refraction [2,3]. These systems nevertheless suffer from difficulties such as requiring extremely high densities and posing strict constraints on the level scheme. Here, we discuss negative refraction in extended atomic level schemes. Our aim is to gain better control over the medium response, and to relax the stringent conditions on the atomic structure.

[1] S. Linden und M. Wegener, Physik Journal 5, 29 (2006).

[2] M. Ö. Oktel and Ö. E. Müstecapioglu, Phys. Rev. A 70, 053806 (2004).

[3] Q. Thommen and P. Mandel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 053601 (2006).