Cold-atom physics using ultrathin optical fibers: light-induced dipole forces and surface interactions.
The strong evanescent field around ultrathin unclad optical fibers bears a high potential for detecting, trapping, and manipulating cold atoms. Introducing such a fiber into a cold-atom cloud, we investigate the interaction of a small number of cold cesium atoms with the guided fiber mode and with the fiber surface. Using high resolution spectroscopy, we observe and analyze light-induced dipole forces, van der Waals interaction, and a significant enhancement of the spontaneous emission rate of the atoms. The latter can be assigned to the modification of the vacuum modes by the fiber.
Sagué
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Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn, Wegelerstr. 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
Vetsch
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E
Alt
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Meschede
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D
Rauschenbeutel
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A