Berlin 2014 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 32: Poster: Quantum gases, ultracold atoms and molecules

Q 32.61: Poster

Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 16:30–18:30, Spree-Palais

Optical analogue of a wire trap for neutral atoms — •Philipp Schneeweiss, Fam Le Kien, and Arno Rauschenbeutel — VCQ, TU Wien – Atominstitut, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Wien, Austria

We propose a trap for cold neutral atoms using a fictitious magnetic field induced by a nanofiber-guided light field [1]. In close analogy to magnetic side-guide wire traps realized with current-carrying wires, a trapping potential can be formed when applying a homogeneous magnetic bias field perpendicular to the fiber axis. We discuss this scheme in detail for laser-cooled cesium atoms and find trap depths and trap frequencies comparable to the two-color nanofiber-based trapping scheme [2] but with one order of magnitude lower powers of the trapping laser field. Moreover, the proposed scheme allows one to bring the atoms closer to the nanofiber surface, thereby enabling efficient optical interfacing of the atoms with additional light fields. Specifically, optical depths per atom of more than 0.4 are predicted, making this system a promising candidate for nanofiber-based nonlinear and quantum optics experiments.

[1] P. Schneeweiss et al., New J. Phys., in press, arXiv:1308:4602
[2] E. Vetsch et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 203603 (2010).