title: Resonator-aided single-atom detection on a microfabricated chip.
abstract: We use an optical cavity to detect single atoms magnetically trapped on an atom chip. We implement the detection using both fluorescence into the cavity and atom-induced reduction in cavity transmission. In fluorescence, we register 2.0(2) photon counts per atom, which allows us to detect single atoms with 75% efficiency in 250 micros. In absorption, we measure transmission attenuation of 3.3(3)% per atom, which allows us to count small numbers of atoms with a resolution of about 1 atom.
authors.affiliation: MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Teper
authors.forename: Yu-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Vladan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vuletić