title: Precise intensity correlation measurement for atomic resonance fluorescence from optical molasses.
abstract: We measured the intensity correlation of true thermal light scattered from cold atoms in an optical molasses. Using a single-mode fiber as a transverse mode filter, measurement with maximally high spatial coherence was realized, allowing us to observe ideal photon bunching with unprecedented precision. The measured intensity correlation functions showed a definite bimodal structure with fast damped oscillation from the maximum value of 2.02(3) and slow monotonic decay toward unity. The oscillation can be understood as an interference between elastic and inelastic scattering fields in resonance fluorescence.
authors.affiliation: PRESTO, CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan. nakayama@photon.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Hisatoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuga
mesh_terms: D008027:Light; D008422:Materials Testing; D008965:Molasses; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000379:methods; D017785:Photons; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*