An atom interferometer for measuring loss of coherence from an atom mirror

We describe an atom interferometer to study the coherence of atoms reflected from an evanescent wave mirror. The interferometer is sensitive to the loss of phase coherence induced by the defects in the mirror. The results are consistent with and complementary to recent measurements of specular reflection.Received: 3 August 2004, Published online: 26 October 2004PACS: 03.75.Be Atom and neutron optics - 03.75.Dg Atom and neutron interferometry - 39.20. + q Atom interferometry techniques The Laboratoire Charles Fabry is part of the Federation LUMAT, FR2764 du CNRS.     

First gravity measurements using the mobile atom interferometer GAIN

We present the compact Gravimetric Atom Interferometer (GAIN), based on laser-cooled ⁸⁷Rb atoms, and discuss its first measurements of the local gravitational acceleration. In this context, we also describe an active vibration isolation system and a tip-tilt stage, which allow for a suppression of vibrational noise and systematic effects like the Coriolis force due to Earth’s rotation.     

Phase decomposition and ordering in Ni-11.3 at.% Ti studied with atom probe tomography

The decomposition behavior of Ni-rich Ni–Ti was reassessed using Tomographic Atom Probe (TAP) and Laser Assisted Wide Angle Tomographic Atom Probe. Single crystalline specimens of Ni-11.3 at.% Ti were investigated, the states selected from the decomposition path were the metastable γ″ and γ′ states introduced on the basis of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and the two-phase model for evaluation. The composition values of the precipitates in these states could not be confirmed by APT data as the interface of the ordered precipitates may not be neglected. The present results rather suggest to apply a three-phase model for the interpretation of SANS measurements, in which the width of the interface remains nearly unchanged and the L1₂ structure close to 3:1 stoichiometry is maintained in the core of the precipitates from the γ″ to the γ′ state.     

Micromanipulation of neutral atoms with nanofabricated structures

A large variety of trapping and guiding potentials can be designed by bringing cold atoms close to charged or current carrying material objects. We describe the basic principles of constructing microscopic traps and guides and how to load atoms into them. The simplicity and versatility of these methods will allow for miniaturization and integration of atom optical elements into matter-wave quantum circuits on Atom Chips. These could form the basis for robust and widespread applications in atom optics, ranging from fundamental studies in mesoscopic physics to possibly quantum information systems. Received: 20 December 1999 / Revised version: 7 March 2000 / Published online: 5 April 2000     

Form factor of an open-shell atom

The influence of the nonsphericity of open-shell atoms in the ground state with a total angular momentum J = 3/2 on the theoretical structure of their form factors is examined. It is found that, for the X-ray region of ionization threshold energies of the 1s shell of these atoms, the nonsphericity effects change the absolute values of form factors calculated in the spherically symmetric approximation by a value varying from–2 to +3%.     

A scheme of quantum repeaters with single atom and cavity-QED

To implement long-distance quantum communication, quantum repeaters have been proposed. The distribution and storage of quantum entanglement are essential to implement quantum repeaters. Here, we propose a new quantum repeaters protocol which is based on single atom-cavity QED. We use simple long-life two-level atoms to store quantum entanglement unlike three-level atoms which are commonly used in other quantum repeaters proposals. The property of long life-time (T₁) and transverse decay time (T₂) between excited level and ground level, such as rare-earth atoms, may store quantum entanglement as long as possible. Modulations of cavity mode and rate of coupling between cavity mode and output mode are also key steps to our scheme. And the efficiency of our protocol is analyzed by quantum trajectory theory.     

Effect of the emitter temperature and emitter atom ionization potential on field evaporation

The field evaporation of nickel, nichrome alloy, and tungsten carbide at different temperatures is studied with a time-of-flight atomic probe and a field emission microscope. The charge of evaporating ions does not depend on the emitter temperature: it decreases with decreasing evaporating field F _ev. If F _ev does not vary with temperature, so does the charge of the ions. In the case of multicomponent emitters with different ionization potentials of the components, the components evaporate at the same values of F _ev in the form of atoms and ionized clusters. The reason for such behavior is that the initial evaporation of the easily ionizable component decreases the binding energy of harder-to-ionize ones to the point where they can evaporate at the same field.     

Kaonic Hydrogen atom X-rays

The X-ray spectrum obtained with kaons stopping in liquid hydrogen has been measured. Possible candidates for X-ray lines from kaonic hydrogen atoms have been identified and the results compared with previous experiments and with theoretical predictions. X-ray lines from σ^?p atoms may also have been observed.     

High-purity F atom beam source

Fluorine atoms are generated by 2.45 GHz microwave dissociation of 99.99% F₂ in a synthetic sapphire single-crystal discharge tube. Typical F₂ gas flow and beam intensity are: 0.1 mbar ls^?1 and 9.5×10¹⁷ atoms sterad^?1 s^?1. The measured degree of dissociation into atoms isD>98%. The high total F atom flux together with the purity of the beam seem to make the source a very promising device for both reaction kinetic-and molecular beam-experiments     

A neutral atom and a wire: towards mesoscopic atom optics

A large variety of trapping and guiding potentials can be designed by bringing cold atoms close to charged or current-carrying material objects. Using a current-carrying wire we demonstrate how to build guides and traps for neutral atoms and using a charged wire we study a 1/r ² singularity. The simplicity and versatility of the principles demonstrated in our experiments will allow for miniaturization and integration of atom optical elements into matter-wave quantum circuits. Received: 13 December 1998 / Revised version: 8 July 1999 / Published online: 8 September 1999     

冷原子干涉仪及空间应用

原子干涉仪是利用原子物质波的特性而实现的干涉仪,冷原子具有很小的速度和速度分布以及良好的相干性,因而冷原子干涉仪具有很高的灵敏度.文章介绍了原子干涉仪的基本物理原理、国内外研究进展、原子干涉仪实现方案及其在精密测量和空间科学领域中的应用.     

Cooperative effects in the two atom resonance fluorescence spectrum

We consider the resonance fluorescence spectrum of two similar interacting atoms in the limit of high photon densities. The excitation spectrum of the symmetric modes contains two sidebands in addition to the usual three peaks which are analogous to those of the isolated atom. These two new sidebands are due entirely to the cooperative behaviour of the two atoms and vanish when the atoms are far apart. The energy shifts and spectral widths for these two sidebands are two and five times larger than those for the isolated atom respectively. The probability of occurrence of these sidebands depends on the parameters V_AB/Ω and γ²₀/Ω², where V_AB is the dipole-dipole interaction energy, γ₀ is the spontaneous emission probability and Ω is the Rabi frequency. The asymmetric broadening of both sidebands depends on the parameter γ₀/Ω. The possibility to measure the dipole-dipole energy through the observation of these sidebands is discussed.     

Antihydrogen atom formation in a CUSP trap towards spin polarized beams

The ASACUSA collaboration has been making a path to realize high precision microwave spectroscopy of ground-state hyperfine transitions of antihydrogen atom in flight for stringent test of the CPT symmetry. For this purpose, an efficient extraction of a spin polarized antihydrogen beam is essential. In 2010, we have succeeded in synthesizing our first cold antihydrogen atoms employing a CUSP trap. The CUSP trap confines antiprotons and positrons simultaneously with its axially symmetric magnetic field to form antihydrogen atoms. It is expected that antihydrogen atoms in the low-field-seeking states are preferentially focused along the cusp magnetic field axis whereas those in the high-field-seeking states are defocused, resulting in the formation of a spin-polarized antihydrogen beam.     

The influence of quantum interference effects on the resonance fluorescence spectra of a degenerate three-level atom

The resonance fluorescence spectra of a degenerate three-level atom of the V-type in the field of an intense monochromatic wave with an arbitrary polarization composition are investigated. Analytical expressions are derived for the resonance fluorescence spectra, and the angular distribution of spontaneous fluorescence of atoms is analyzed for the D-line emitted by vapors of alkali atoms. It is shown that the number of lines in the spectrum may decrease in the case of the linear polarization of spontaneous radiation. The radiation relaxation operator is obtained for the D-line of alkali metals in the case when an atom is near the metal surface. Interference effects for such systems are analyzed.     

Microscopic electro-optical atom trap on an evanescent-wave mirror

We put forward the idea of a surface-mounted microscopic electro-optical atom trap. The trap is formed on an evanescent-wave atom mirror by the strongly localized static electric field of two oppositely charged transparent electrodes placed close to each other. The electrodes are embedded in a refractive-index-matched thin dielectric layer on the surface of a glass prism. In our example, the phase-space density in the trap center reaches 0.1, when the trap is loaded with atoms from a gravito-optical surface trap.Received: 16 October 2003PACS: 32.80.Pj Optical cooling of atoms; trapping - 39.25. + k Atom manipulation (scanning probe microscopy, laser cooling, etc.)     

Analytical calculation of atom ejection from the Ni (111), Ni (001), and Au (001) surfaces in frames of a three-dimensional model

Atom ejection from lattice sites at the Ni (111) and Ni (001) surfaces in the azimuthal direction toward the center of a lens consisting of two nearest neighboring atoms in the surface plane is calculated using a developed analytical three-dimensional model. The types of scattering of ejected atoms are classified in frames of the constructed model. It is found that the first and second ejection cones are observed in the sputtering pattern in the case of atom ejection from the Ni (111) surface and that the contribution of strongly blocked atoms to sputtering is considerable. The focusing of sputtered atoms at some angle from the surface normal is observed. A maximum of the polar angular distribution of sputtered atoms is shifted nonmonotonically as the energy increases. It is shown that the energy spent by the ejected atom on the recoiling of the lens atoms can be larger than that spent by this atom to overcome the potential barrier. It is found that small changes in the potential hardness and the binding energy at the magnetic phase transition can lead to a qualitative change in the ejection pattern. The expressions for the final ejection angle and energy in the case of Ni in the f-state are found in the form of an expansion in terms of two small parameters. As one passes from the case of atom ejection from the Ni (001) face to the case of atom ejection from the Au (001) face, the interaction cross section increases significantly because of an increase in the atomic number and the effects of blocking and focusing turn out to be considerable.     

Atom number calibration in absorption imaging at very small atom numbers

Cold atom experiments often use images of the atom clouds as their exclusive source of experimental information. The most commonly used technique is absorption imaging, which provides accurate information about the shapes of the atom clouds, but requires care when seeking the absolute atom number for small atom samples. In this paper, we present an independent, absolute calibration of the atom numbers. We directly compare the atom number detected using dark-ground imaging to the one observed by fluorescence imaging of the same atoms in a magneto-optical trap. We normalise the signal using single-atom resolved fluorescence imaging. In order to be able to image the absorption of the very low atom numbers involved, we use diffractive dark-ground imaging as a novel, ultra-sensitive method of in situ imaging for untrapped atom clouds down to only 100 atoms. We demonstrate that the Doppler shift due to the acceleration of the atoms by the probe beam has to be taken into account when measuring the atom-number.     

Dynamic electron screening in nuclear and mesonic atom E1 transitions

Atomic electrons can influence the electromagnetic transition rates of nuclei and mesonic atoms. We examine this dynamic electron screening effect for E1 transitions. The screening factor is expressed in terms of the forward Rayleigh scattering amplitude, and, for easy computation, the photoelectric cross section. We find that the effect can be large for low-energy transitions, but such transitions are rare for nuclei. The effect on mesonic atom cascades is usually small, but can be quite significant for high-precision experiments and those which look at transitions from high initial n.     

Using atom interferometry to search for new forces

Atom interferometry is a rapidly advancing field and this Letter proposes an experiment based on existing technology that can search for new short distance forces. With current technology it is possible to improve the sensitivity by up to a factor of 10² and near-future advances may be able to rewrite the limits for forces with ranges from 1 mm to 100 m.