We consider basic dynamical effects in settings based on a pair of local potential traps that may be effectively switched on and off, or suddenly displaced, by means of appropriate control mechanisms, such as the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) or photo-switchable quantum dots. The same models, based on the linear Schrodinger equation with time-dependent trapping potentials, apply to the description of optical planar systems designed for the switching of trapped light beams. The analysis is carried out in the analytical form, using exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation. The first dynamical problem considered in this work is the retention of a particle released from a trap which was suddenly turned off, while another local trap was switched on at a distance - immediately or with a delay. In this case, we demonstrate that the maximum of the retention rate is achieved at a specific finite value of the strength of the new trap, and at a finite value of the temporal delay, depending on the distance between the two traps. Another ptoblem is retrapping of the bound particle when the addition of the second trap transforms the single-well setting into a double-well potential (DWP). In that case, we find probabilities for the retrapping into the ground or first excited state of the DWP. We also analyze effects entailed by the application of a kick to a bound particle, the most interesting one being a kick-induced transition between the DWP's ground and excited states. In the latter case, the largest transition probability is achieved at particular strength of the kick.
A fully operational loss-free quantum battery requires an inherent control over the energy transfer process, with the ability of keeping the energy retained with no leakage. Moreover, it also requires a stable discharge mechanism, which entails that no energy revivals occur as the device starts its energy distribution. Here, we provide a scalable solution for both requirements. To this aim, we propose a general design for a quantum battery based on an {\it{energy current}} (EC) observable quantifying the energy transfer rate to a consumption hub. More specifically, we introduce an instantaneou…
We propose a procedure to achieve a complete energy conversion between laser pulses carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) in a cloud of cold atoms characterized by a double-Λatom-light coupling scheme. A pair of resonant spatially dependent control fields prepare atoms in a position-dependent coherent population trapping state, while a pair of much weaker vortex probe beams propagate in the coherently driven atomic medium. Using the adiabatic approximation we derive the propagation equations for the probe beams. We consider a situation where the second control field is absent at the entrance…
A diffractive optical element (DOE) has been fabricated for creating blue detuned atomic bottle beam traps. The DOE integrates several diffractive lenses for trap creation and imaging of atomic fluorescence. We characterize the performance of the DOE and demonstrate trapping of cold Cesium atoms inside a bottle beam.
Based on quantum counterfactual interaction-free measurement, we propose an implementation scheme for a beam splitter with anomalous reflection and transmission properties that looks impossible at first glance. Our scheme is stationary without requiring switchable mirrors and polarization rotators. Using the scheme for imaging will ensure that the optical radiation received by the object being imaged can be arbitrarily low. Thus it enables applications such as stealthy night vision devices that can work without detectable ambient light, or being used as a hackware against some counterfactual q…
We report the observation of transient velocity-selective coherent population trapping (VSCPT) in a beam of metastable neon atoms. The atomic momentum distribution resulting from the interaction with counterpropagating sigma_+ and sigma_- radiation which couples a J_g=2 <-> J_e=1 transition is measured via the transversal beam profile. This transition exhibits a stable VSCPT dark state formed by the two |J=2,m=+/-1> states, and a metastable dark state containing the |J=2,m=+/-2> and |J=2,m=0> states. The dynamics of the formation and decay of stable and metastable dark states is studied experi…
Photonic routing is a key building block of many optical applications challenging its development. We report a 2$\times$2 photonic coupler with splitting ratio switchable by a low-voltage electronic signal with 10~GHz bandwidth and tens of nanoseconds latency. The coupler can operate at any splitting ratio ranging from 0:100 to 100:0 with the extinction ratio of 26 dB in optical bandwidth of 1.3 THz. We show sub-nanosecond switching between arbitrary coupling regimes including balanced 50:50 beam splitter, 0:100 switch, and a photonic tap. The core of the device is based on Mach-Zehnder interf…
We demonstrate three-dimensional trapping of individual Rydberg atoms in holographic optical bottle beam traps. Starting with cold, ground-state $^{87}$Rb atoms held in standard optical tweezers, we excite them to $nS_{1/2}$, $nP_{1/2}$, or $nD_{3/2}$ Rydberg states and transfer them to a hollow trap at 850 nm. For principal quantum numbers $60 \leqslant n \leqslant 90$, the measured trapping time coincides with the Rydberg state lifetime in a 300~K environment. We show that these traps are compatible with quantum information and simulation tasks by performing single qubit microwave Rabi flopp…
The superposition of a Gaussian mode and a Laguerre-Gauss mode with $\ell=0,p\neq0$ generates the so-called bottle beam: a dark focus surrounded by a bright region. In this paper, we theoretically explore the use of bottle beams as an optical trap for dielectric spheres with a refractive index smaller than that of their surrounding medium. The forces acting on a small particle are derived within the dipole approximation and used to simulate the Brownian motion of the particle in the trap. The intermediate regime of particle size is studied numerically and it is found that stable trapping of la…
We describe a new type of blue detuned optical lattice for atom trapping which is intrinsically two dimensional, while providing three-dimensional atom localization. The lattice is insensitive to optical phase fluctuations since it does not depend on field interference between distinct optical beams. The array is created using a novel arrangement of weakly overlapping Gaussian beams that creates a two-dimensional array of dark traps which are suitable for magic trapping of ground and Rydberg states. We analyze the spatial localization that can be achieved and demonstrate trapping and detection…
We studied theoretically a coherent population trapping resonance formation in cylindrical cell without buffer gas irradiated by a narrow laser beam. We take into account non-zero probabilities of elastic ("specular") and inelastic ("sticking") collision between the atom and the cell wall. We have developed a theoretical model based on averaging over the random Ramsey pulse sequences of times that atom spent in and out of the beam. It is shown that the shape of coherent population trapping resonance line depends on the probability of elastic collision.
We demonstrate trapping and quantum state control of single Cesium atoms in a 532 nm wavelength bottle beam trap. The three dimensional trap is formed by crossing two unit charge vortex beams. Single atoms are loaded with 50% probability directly from a magneto-optical trap. We achieve a trapping lifetime of up to 6 s, and demonstrate fast Rabi oscillations with a coherence time of $T_2\sim 43 \pm 9\rm ms$.
Recent studies have confirmed the coupling of optical vortices, such as Laguerre-Gaussian and Bessel-Gaussian modes, to quadrupole-active atomic transitions. This interaction has been shown to be enhanced considerably in the case of Laguerre-Gaussian beams due to the gradient coupling, particularly in the case of a relatively large winding number. Here we consider the trapping and the dynamics of atoms in the optical quadrupole potential generated by two co-axial counter-propagating optical vortex beams. We focus on the atomic transition $6^2S_{1/2}\rightarrow 5^2D_{5/2}$ in Cs which is a dipo…
We demonstrate sub-Doppler laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping of the rare earth element Holmium. Atoms are loaded from an atomic beam source and captured in six-beam $σ_+ - σ_-$ molasses using a strong $J=15/2 \leftrightarrow J=17/2$ cycling transition at $λ=410.5 \rm nm$. Due to the small difference in hyperfine splittings and Landé $g$-factors in the lower and upper levels of the cooling transition the MOT is self-repumped without additional repump light, and deep sub-Doppler cooling is achieved with the magnetic trap turned on. We measure the leakage out of the cycling transition to…
A new strategy for trapping quantum particles is presented, which behaves like an effective harmonic oscillator potential trap wherever is desired. The approach is based on harmonic contraction and expansion of the system around a fixed point (trapping point) at high frequencies. Analytical results are presented for an arbitrary potential and contrasted with numerical calculations for a quantum particle between two impenetrable walls. Similarly, making use of the analogy between quantum mechanics and optics, it is shown that an harmonically breathing waveguide lattice can be used to trap optic…
Light-induced nonlinear terms in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation arise from the stimulated coherent exchange of photons between two atoms. For atoms in an optical dipole trap this effect depends on the spatial profile of the trapping laser beam. Two different laser beams can induce the same trapping potential but very different nonlinearities. We propose a scheme to measure light-induced nonlinearities which is based on this observation.
We present theoretical and experimental results of coherent population trapping spectra on a multi-level $^{40}$Ca$^+$-type configuration, adding a third beam to the standard two-laser $Λ$ system to avoid undesired optical pumping. We show that the extra laser can preserve the nature of the dark resonances or introduce decoherence depending on its power. Experiments are carried out using a single trapped $^{40}$Ca$^+$ ion in the $S_{1/2}-P_{1/2}-D_{3/2}$ manifold. Theoretically, the problem is solved with a Floquet-like expansion of the Liouvillian that correctly predicts all of the measured s…
We experimentally demonstrate optical trapping of 87Rb atoms using a two-color evanescent field around an optical nanofiber. In our trapping geometry, a blue-detuned traveling wave whose polarization is nearly parallel to the polarization of a red-detuned standing wave produces significant vector light shifts that lead to broadening of the absorption profile of a near-resonant beam at the trapping site. A model that includes scalar, vector, and tensor light shifts of the probe transition $5S_{1/2}$-$5P_{3/2}$ from the trapping beams, weighted by the temperature-dependent position of the atoms …
We investigate the influence of two resonant laser beams on the mechanical properties of degenerate atomic gases. The control and probe beams of light are considered to have Orbital Angular Momenta (OAM) and act on the three-level atoms in the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) configuration. The theory is based on the explicit analysis of the quantum dynamics of cold atoms coupled with two laser beams. Using the adiabatic approximation, we obtain an effective equation of motion for the atoms driven to the dark state. The equation contains a vector potential type interaction as wel…
We demonstrate single-atom trapping in two-dimensional arrays of microtraps with arbitrary geometries. We generate the arrays using a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM), with which we imprint an appropriate phase pattern on an optical dipole trap beam prior to focusing. We trap single $^{87}{\rm Rb}$ atoms in the sites of arrays containing up to $\sim100$ microtraps separated by distances as small as $3\;μ$m, with complex structures such as triangular, honeycomb or kagome lattices. Using a closed-loop optimization of the uniformity of the trap depths ensures that all trapping sites are equivalent. …
