Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 23: Poster 2: Intersectional Session
Q 23.48: Poster
Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 18:00–21:00, P1
Generation of a light mode that couples efficiently to a dipole transition — •Andrea Golla1,2, Benoît Chalopin2, Robert Maiwald1,2, Irina Harder1, Markus Sondermann1,2, and Gerd Leuchs1,2 — 1Institut für Optik, Information und Photonik (IOIP), Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 7/B2, 91058 Erlangen — 2Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL), Günther-Scharowsky-Str. 1/Bau 24, 91058 Erlangen
For perfect coupling of light with an atomic transition the light field must be mode matched to the atomic radiation pattern. Localizing an atom with a linear dipole transition inside a deep parabolic mirror enables efficient absorption of a single-photon wave packet in free space. A linear dipole field radiated by the atom is transformed after reflecting off the parabolic mirror into a transverse mode very close to a radially polarized doughnut mode. We demonstrate the generation of such a mode at the transition wavelength with the optimum size for our focusing geometry, envisioning 98% overlap with the atomic dipole radiation.
Imperfections of the mirror surface induce errors on the phase front. We show that by inserting a phase plate fabricated to fit to the specific mirror these aberrations are corrected such that the focal intensity reaches more than 90% of the diffraction limited case.
For the perfect absorption of photons, also the temporal shape of the wave packet must be tailored to the transition, requiring an exponentially increasing envelope. This is achieved with the modulation of highly attenuated continuous wave laser beams.