Loading a high-finesse optical cavity from an optical atomic conveyor
Abstract
We have transferred ultra-cold ^87Rb atoms from a MOT into the resonant mode of a high-finesse optical cavity via a far off resonant optical lattice. The lattice is loaded 1.5 cm above the cavity, then the frequency of one beam is changed using an acousto-optic modulator. This produces an atomic conveyor [1] that translates the occupied lattice sites into the cavity. The cavity is passively stabilized to well within its linewidth for the duration of the experiment. Our cavity satisfies the strong coupling requirement, which allows us to detect single and multi-atom events by monitoring the transmission of light through the cavity. We have also measured a real-time optical bi-stability of the cavity, a collective effect involving several atoms. This work has applications in single photon generation and quantum computing. 1. S. Kuhr, W. Alt, D. Schrader, M. Müller, V. Gomer, D. Meschede; Science 293, 278 (2001).
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..DMP.G2002S