Heidelberg 2015 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 62: Poster: Quantum Optics and Photonics III

Q 62.36: Poster

Thursday, March 26, 2015, 17:00–19:00, C/Foyer

Effect of photon absorption in optical phase gratings for matter waves — •Kai Walter, Stefan Nimmrichter, and Klaus Hornberger — Fakultät für Physik, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Deutschland

Optical elements, such as a standing wave laser grating, play an important role in matter wave interferometry with large molecules. For their theoretical description we have to distinguish several types of interactions: the coherent laser-dipole interaction due to the molecular polarizability, the incoherent absorption of laser photons, and radiative decay. Moreover, changes of the internal molecular state due to the electronic excitation and relaxation can also be relevant. The interplay of these effects can be described by a quantum master equation for the center-of-mass and the internal state. We will also discuss how this description is related to the Rabi model for the laser-atom interaction.

The results are discussed by means of concrete experimental setups with a standing wave laser grating: near field interferometry with large molecules [1] and the optical mask for laser-cooled atoms [2].

[1] M. Arndt et al., Nature Physics 3, 711 - 715 (2007)

[2] A. Turlapov et al., Phys. Rev. A 68, 023408 (2003)