Phase change of a probe due to oscillation of cold atoms in an optical standing wave
Abstract
We abruptly subject laser-cooled 87Rb atoms to the one-dimensional, blue-detuned, optical standing-wave potential generated by two crossed probe laser beams and detect the phase change of the probe beam due to cold-atom dynamics. Damped oscillations of the observed phase signal are attributed to a temporal change of the root-mean-square position of the cold atoms relative to the minima of the periodic optical potential. The damping rate is in good agreement with numerical results, which take into account the potential anharmonicity but neglect spontaneous emission. The agreement indicates that the decay is mainly caused by dephasing due to trap anharmonicity. For sufficient low initial temperature, our calculations show quantum revivals of the wave-packet oscillation.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review A
- Pub Date:
- January 1998
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.57.R24
- Bibcode:
- 1998PhRvA..57...24K
- Keywords:
-
- 32.80.Pj;
- Optical cooling of atoms;
- trapping