Determination of the number of atoms trapped in an optical cavity

The number of atoms trapped within the mode of an optical cavity is determined in real time by monitoring the transmission of a weak probe beam. Continuous observation of atom number is accomplished in the strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics and functions in concert with a cooli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2004-10, Vol.93 (14), p.143601.1-143601.4, Article 143601
Main Authors: MCKEEVER, J, BUCK, J. R, BOOZER, A. D, KIMBLE, H. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atomic and molecular physics
Atomic properties and interactions with photons
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Optical cooling of atoms
trapping
Optics
Photon interactions with atoms
Physics
Quantum optics
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Summary:The number of atoms trapped within the mode of an optical cavity is determined in real time by monitoring the transmission of a weak probe beam. Continuous observation of atom number is accomplished in the strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics and functions in concert with a cooling scheme for radial atomic motion. The probe transmission exhibits sudden steps from one plateau to the next in response to the time evolution of the intracavity atom number, from N>or=3 to N=2-->1-->0 atoms, with some trapping events lasting over 1 s.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.143601