Sensitive Detection of Individual Neutral Atoms in a Strong Coupling Cavity QED System
ZHANG Peng-Fei1, ZHANG Yu-Chi1, LI Gang1, DU Jin-Jin1, ZHANG Yan-Feng1, GUO Yan-Qiang1, WANG Jun-Min1, ZHANG Tian-Cai1**, LI Wei-Dong2
1State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto-Electronics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 2Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006
Sensitive Detection of Individual Neutral Atoms in a Strong Coupling Cavity QED System
ZHANG Peng-Fei1, ZHANG Yu-Chi1, LI Gang1, DU Jin-Jin1, ZHANG Yan-Feng1, GUO Yan-Qiang1, WANG Jun-Min1, ZHANG Tian-Cai1**, LI Wei-Dong2
1State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto-Electronics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006 2Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006
摘要We experimentally demonstrate real-time detection of individual cesium atoms by using a high-finesse optical micro-cavity in a strong coupling regime. A cloud of cesium atoms is trapped in a magneto-optical trap positioned at 5 mm above the micro-cavity center. The atoms fall down freely in gravitation after shutting off the magneto-optical trap and pass through the cavity. The cavity transmission is strongly affected by the atoms in the cavity, which enables the micro-cavity to sense the atoms individually. We detect the single atom transits either in the resonance or various detunings. The single atom vacuum-Rabi splitting is directly measured to be Ω=2π×23.9 MHz. The average duration of atom-cavity coupling of about 110 µs is obtained according to the probability distribution of the atom transits.
Abstract：We experimentally demonstrate real-time detection of individual cesium atoms by using a high-finesse optical micro-cavity in a strong coupling regime. A cloud of cesium atoms is trapped in a magneto-optical trap positioned at 5 mm above the micro-cavity center. The atoms fall down freely in gravitation after shutting off the magneto-optical trap and pass through the cavity. The cavity transmission is strongly affected by the atoms in the cavity, which enables the micro-cavity to sense the atoms individually. We detect the single atom transits either in the resonance or various detunings. The single atom vacuum-Rabi splitting is directly measured to be Ω=2π×23.9 MHz. The average duration of atom-cavity coupling of about 110 µs is obtained according to the probability distribution of the atom transits.
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2011, Vol. 28 
