Single-atom trapping and transport in DMD-controlled optical tweezers

We demonstrate the trapping and manipulation of single neutral atoms in reconfigurable arrays of optical tweezers. Our approach offers unparalleled speed by using a Texas Instruments Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD) as a holographic amplitude modulator with a frame rate of 20,000 per second. We show the trapping of static arrays of up to 20 atoms, as well as transport of individually selected atoms over a distance of 25{\mu}m with laser cooling and 4{\mu}m without. We discuss the limitations of the technique and the scope for technical improvements

Reply to the Comment on `Deterministic Single-Photon Source for Distributed Quantum Networking'

Reply to the comment of H. J. Kimble [quant-ph/0210032] on the experiment realizing a "deterministic single-photon source for distributed quantum networking" by Kuhn, Hennrich, and Rempe [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 067901 (2002), quant-ph/0204147].Comment: 1 page 1 figur

Three Dimensional Raman Cooling using Velocity Selective Rapid Adiabatic Passage

We present a new and efficient implementation of Raman cooling of trapped atoms. It uses Raman pulses with an appropriate frequency chirp to realize a velocity selective excitation through a rapid adiabatic passage. This method allows to address in a single pulse a large number of non zero atomic velocity classes and it produces a nearly unity transfer efficiency. We demonstrate this cooling method using cesium atoms in a far-detuned crossed dipole trap. Three-dimensional cooling of $1 \times 10^{5}$ atoms down to $2 \mu$K is performed in 100 ms. In this preliminary experiment the final atomic density is $1.3\times 10^{12}$ at/cm$^3$ (within a factor of 2) and the phase-space density increase over the uncooled sample is 20. Numerical simulations indicate that temperatures below the single photon recoil temperature should be achievable with this method.Comment: OSA TOPS on Ultracold Atoms and BEC 7 (1997) 5

Transition from antibunching to bunching in cavity QED

The photon statistics of the light emitted from an atomic ensemble into a single field mode of an optical cavity is investigated as a function of the number of atoms. The light is produced in a Raman transition driven by a pump laser and the cavity vacuum [M.Hennrich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4672 (2000)], and a recycling laser is employed to repeat this process continuously. For weak driving, a smooth transition from antibunching to bunching is found for about one intra-cavity atom. Remarkably, the bunching peak develops within the antibunching dip. For saturated driving and a growing number of atoms, the bunching amplitude decreases and the bunching duration increases, indicating the onset of Raman lasing.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Nonlinear Zeeman Effects in the Cavity-Enhanced Emission of Polarised Photons

We theoretically and experimentally investigate nonlinear Zeeman effects within a polarised single-photon source that uses a single 87Rb atom strongly coupled to a high finesse optical cavity. The breakdown of the atomic hyperfine structure in the D2 transition manifold for intermediate strength magnetic fields is shown to result in asymmetric and, ultimately, inhibited operation of the polarised atom-photon interface. The coherence of the system is considered using Hong-Ou-Mandel interference of the emitted photons. This informs the next steps to be taken and the modelling of future implementations, based on feasible cavity designs operated in regimes minimising nonlinear Zeeman effects, is presented and shown to provide improved performance.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure