arXiv subjects

Claus Zimmermann

Publications and source records attributed to Claus Zimmermann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Surface-plasmon based dispersive detection and spectroscopy of ultracold atoms

The paper reports on the optical detection and spectroscopy of ultracold atoms near a gold surface. A probe light field is used to excite surface plasmon polaritons. The refractive index of the atomic gas shifts the plasmon resonance and changes the reflected light power. Thus, the sensitivity of the detection is plasmonically enhanced. Absorption of photons from the evanescent wave is avoided by detuning the laser from atomic resonance which makes the detection scheme potentially nondestructive. The spectrum of the signal is determined by a Fano resonance. We show that atoms can be detected nondestructively with single atom resolution for typical parameters in cold atom experiments. Thus, the method is suitable for quantum nondemolition measurements of matter wave amplitudes. Experimentally, we measure a technically-limited sensitivity of 30 atoms and extend the detection scheme to dispersively image the atom cloud near the surface.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Photon-antibunching in the fluorescence of statistical ensembles of emitters at an optical nanofiber-tip

This proposal investigates the photon-statistics of light emitted by a statistical ensemble of cold atoms excited by the near-field of an optical nanofiber tip. Dipole-dipole interactions of atoms at such short distance from each other suppress the simultaneous emission of more than one photon and lead to antibunching of photons. We consider a mean atom number on the order of one and deal with a poissonian mixture of one and two atoms including dipole-dipole interactions and collective decay. Time tracks of the atomic states are simulated in quantum Monte Carlo simulations from which the $g^{(2)}$-photon autocorrelation function is derived. The general results can be applied to any statistical ensemble of emitters that are interacting by dipole-dipole interactions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Plasmonic surface traps with arbitrary shape for cold atoms

This paper reports on conceptual and experimental work towards the realization of plasmonic surface traps for cold atoms. The trapping mechanism is based on the combination of a repulsive and an attractive potential generated by evanescent light waves that are plasmonically enhanced. The strength of enhancement can be locally manipulated via the thickness of a metal nanolayer deposited on top of a dielectric substrate. Thus, in principle arbitrary potential landscapes can be generated. We present simulations of a plasmonic lattice potential using a gold grating with sinusoidally modulated thickness. Experimentally, a first plasmonic test structure is presented and characterized. Furthermore, the surface potential landscape is detected by reflecting ultracold atom clouds from the test structure revealing the influence of both evanescent waves. A parameter range is identified, where stable traps can be expected.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Optomechanical damping of a nanomembrane inside an optical ring cavity

We experimentally and theoretically investigate mechanical nanooscillators coupled to the light in an optical ring resonator made of dielectric mirrors. We identify an optomechanical damping mechanism that is fundamentally different to the well known cooling in standing wave cavities. While, in a standing wave cavity the mechanical oscillation shifts the resonance frequency of the cavity in a ring resonator the frequency does not change. Instead the position of the nodes is shifted with the mechanical excursion. We derive the damping rates and test the results experimentally with a silicon-nitride nanomembrane. It turns out that scattering from small imperfections of the dielectric mirror coatings has to be taken into account to explain the value of the measured damping rate. We extend our theoretical model and regard a second reflector in the cavity that captures the effects of mirror back scattering. This model can be used to also describe the situation of two membranes that both interact with the cavity fields. This may be interesting for future work on synchronization of distant oscillators that are coupled by intracavity light fields.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Cooperative coupling of ultracold atoms and surface plasmons

Cooperative coupling between optical emitters and light fields is one of the outstanding goals in quantum technology. It is both fundamentally interesting for the extraordinary radiation properties of the participating emitters and has many potential applications in photonics. While this goal has been achieved using high-finesse optical cavities, cavity-free approaches that are broadband and easy to build have attracted much attention recently. Here we demonstrate cooperative coupling of ultracold atoms with surface plasmons propagating on a plane gold surface. While the atoms are moving towards the surface they are excited by an external laser pulse. Excited surface plasmons are detected via leakage radiation into the substrate of the gold layer. A maximum Purcell factor of $η_\mathrm{P}=4.9$ is reached at an optimum distance of $z=250~\mathrm{nm}$ from the surface. The coupling leads to the observation of a Fano-like resonance in the spectrum.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Probing atom-surface interactions by diffraction of Bose-Einstein condensates

In this article we analyze the Casimir-Polder interaction of atoms with a solid grating and an additional repulsive interaction between the atoms and the grating in the presence of an external laser source. The combined potential landscape above the solid body is probed locally by diffraction of Bose-Einstein condensates. Measured diffraction efficiencies reveal information about the shape of the Casimir-Polder interaction and allow us to discern between models based on a pairwise-summation (Hamaker) approach and Lifshitz theory.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

The role of Mie scattering in the seeding of matter-wave superradiance

Matter-wave superradiance is based on the interplay between ultracold atoms coherently organized in momentum space and a backscattered wave. Here, we show that this mechanism may be triggered by Mie scattering from the atomic cloud. We show how the laser light populates the modes of the cloud, and thus imprints a phase gradient on the excited atomic dipoles. The interference with the atoms in the ground state results in a grating, that in turn generates coherent emission, contributing to the backward light wave onset. The atomic recoil 'halos' created by the scattered light exhibit a strong anisotropy, in contrast to single-atom scattering.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Photonic properties of one-dimensionally-ordered cold atomic vapors under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency

We experimentally study the photonic properties of a cold-atom sample trapped in a one-dimensional optical lattice under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency. We show that such a medium has two photonic band gaps. One of them is in the transparency window and gives rise to a Bragg mirror, which is spectrally very narrow and dynamically tunable. We discuss the advantages and the limitations of this system. As an illustration of a possible application we demonstrate a two-port all-optical switch.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Optical parametric oscillation with distributed feedback in cold atoms

There is currently a strong interest in mirrorless lasing systems, in which the electromagnetic feedback is provided either by disorder (multiple scattering in the gain medium) or by order (multiple Bragg reflection). These mechanisms correspond, respectively, to random lasers and photonic crystal lasers. The crossover regime between order and disorder, or correlated disorder, has also been investigated with some success. Here, we report one-dimensional photonic-crystal lasing (that is, distributed feedback lasing) with a cold atom cloud that simultaneously provides both gain and feedback. The atoms are trapped in a one-dimensional lattice, producing a density modulation that creates a strong Bragg reflection with a small angle of incidence. Pumping the atoms with auxiliary beams induces four-wave mixing, which provides parametric gain. The combination of both ingredients generates a mirrorless parametric oscillation with a conical output emission, the apex angle of which is tunable with the lattice periodicity.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

Photonic Band Gaps in One-Dimensionally Ordered Cold Atomic Vapors

We experimentally investigate the Bragg reflection of light at one-dimensionally ordered atomic structures by using cold atoms trapped in a laser standing wave. By a fine tuning of the periodicity, we reach the regime of multiple reflection due to the refractive index contrast between layers, yielding an unprecedented high reflectance efficiency of 80%. This result is explained by the occurrence of a photonic band gap in such systems, in accordance with previous predictions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

Cavity-Controlled Collective Scattering at the Recoil Limit

We study collective scattering with Bose-Einstein condensates interacting with a high-finesse ring cavity. The condensate scatters the light of a transverse pump beam superradiantly into modes which, in contrast to previous experiments, are not determined by the geometrical shape of the condensate, but specified by a resonant cavity mode. Moreover, since the recoil-shifted frequency of the scattered light depends on the initial momentum of the scattered fraction of the condensate, we show that it is possible to employ the good resolution of the cavity as a filter selecting particular quantized momentum states.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Direct Measurement of intermediate-range Casimir-Polder potentials

We present the first direct measurements of Casimir-Polder forces between solid surfaces and atomic gases in the transition regime between the electrostatic short-distance and the retarded long-distance limit. The experimental method is based on ultracold ground-state Rb atoms that are reflected from evanescent wave barriers at the surface of a dielectric glass prism. Our novel approach does not require assumptions about the potential shape. The experimental data confirm the theoretical prediction in the transition regime.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2008

Towards surface quantum optics with Bose-Einstein condensates in evanescent waves

We present a surface trap which allows for studying the coherent interaction of ultracold atoms with evanescent waves. The trap combines a magnetic Joffe trap with a repulsive evanescent dipole potential. The position of the magnetic trap can be controlled with high precision which makes it possible to move ultracold atoms to the surface of a glass prism in a controlled way. The optical potential of the evanescent wave compensates for the strong attractive van der Waals forces and generates a potential barrier at only a few hundred nanometers from the surface. The trap is tested with Rb Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC), which are stably positioned at distances from the surfaces below one micrometer.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2008

Ultra-cold atoms in an optical cavity: two-mode laser locking to the cavity avoiding radiation pressure

The combination of ultra-cold atomic clouds with the light fields of optical cavities provides a powerful model system for the development of new types of laser cooling and for studying cooperative phenomena. These experiments critically depend on the precise tuning of an incident pump laser with respect to a cavity resonance. Here, we present a simple and reliable experimental tuning scheme based on a two-mode laser spectrometer. The scheme uses a first laser for probing higher-order transversal modes of the cavity having an intensity minimum near the cavity's optical axis, where the atoms are confined by a magnetic trap. In this way the cavity resonance is observed without exposing the atoms to unwanted radiation pressure. A second laser, which is phase-locked to the first one and tuned close to a fundamental cavity mode drives the coherent atom-field dynamics.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2007

Collective Atomic Recoil Lasing and Superradiant Rayleigh Scattering in a high-Q ring cavity

Cold atoms in optical high-Q cavities are an ideal model system for long-range interacting particles. The position of two arbitrary atoms is, independent on their distance, coupled by the back-scattering of photons within the cavity. This mutual coupling can lead to collective instability and self-organization of a cloud of cold atoms interacting with the cavity fields. This phenomenon (CARL, i.e. Collective Atomic Recoil Lasing) has been discussed theoretically for years, but was observed only recently in our lab. The CARL-effect is closely linked to superradiant Rayleigh Scattering, which has been intensely studied with Bose-Einstein condensates in free space. By adding a resonator the coherence time of the system, in which the instability occurs, can be strongly enhanced. This enables us to observe cavity-enhanced superradiance with both Bose-Eisntein condensed and thermal clouds and allows us to close the discussion about the role of quantum statistics in superradiant scattering.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2007

Cavity-enhanced superradiant Rayleigh scattering with ultra-cold and Bose-Einstein condensed atoms

We report on the observation of collective atomic recoil lasing and superradiant Rayleigh scattering with ultracold and Bose-Einstein condensed atoms in an optical ring cavity. Both phenomena are based on instabilities evoked by the collective interaction of light with cold atomic gases. This publication clarifies the link between the two effects. The observation of superradiant behavior with thermal clouds as hot as several tens of $μ\textrm{K}$ proves that the phenomena are driven by the cooperative dynamics of the atoms, which is strongly enhanced by the presence of the ring cavity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2005

Perspectives of Ultra Cold Atoms Trapped in Magnetic Micro Potentials

Recent work on magnetic micro traps for ultracold atoms is briefly reviewed. The basic principles of operation are described together with the loading methods and some of the realized trap geometries. Experiments are discussed that study the interaction between atoms and the surface of micro traps as well as the dynamics of ultracold gases in wave guides are discussed. The results allow for an outlook towards future directions of research.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2003

Autler-Townes splitting in two-color photoassociation of 6Li

We report on high-resolution two-color photoassociation spectroscopy in the triplet system of magneto-optically trapped 6Li. The absolute transition frequencies have been measured. Strong optical coupling of the bound molecular states has been observed as Autler-Townes splitting in the photoassociation signal. The spontaneous bound-bound transition rate is determined and the molecule formation rate is estimated. The observed lineshapes are in good agreement with the theoretical model.

physics.atom-ph↗