Toward Nonlinear Optics with Confined Photons and Atoms

POSTER

Abstract

Cold atoms trapped inside a hollow core photonic bandgap fiber create medium with unique optical properties, such as large optical depth and long coherence times. Furthermore, the fiber itself guides the interacting light in tight spatial confinement over distances not limited by diffraction and dramatically increases electric field intensity. Optical nonlinearities achievable under these conditions can be potentially used for coherent nonlinear interactions between single photon light pulses. In this work we present an atom cooling and trapping setup that loads cold Rb atoms into a dipole trap localized within the hollow core of the fiber and we study properties of the cold Rb atoms confined in the fiber.

Authors

  • Vlatko Balic

    Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

  • Michal Bajcsy

    Physics Department, Harvard University; DEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

  • Alexander Zibrov

    Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; Lebedev Institute of Physics, RAS, Moscow, Russia, Physics Department, Harvard University, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and P. N. Lebedev Institute of Physics, Moscow

  • Vladan Vuletic

    Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, MA

  • Mikhail Lukin

    Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Department of Physics, Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138