Generation of a wave packet tailored to efficient free space excitation
  of a single atom

A. Drechsler; A. Golla; A. Haase; A. Kalachev; A. Kuhn; A.N. Vamivakas; B. Chalopin; B. Richards; B. Schaefer; C.W. Gardiner; D. Pinotsi; D.J. Wineland; G. Leuchs; G. Leuchs; G. Rempe; G. Wrigge; G. Zumofen; H. Walther; H.J. Briegel; H.J. Kimble; I. Harder; J. Bochmann; J. McKeever; J. Migdalek; J. Stadler; J.F. Chen; J.I. Cirac; J.M. Raimond; K. Hammerer; K. Mantel; L. Jin; L. Olislager; L. Slodička; M. Bader; M. Eisaman; M. Keller; M. Pototschnig; M. Sondermann; M. Sondermann; M. Stalder; M. Stobinska; M.D. Lukin; M.K. Tey; M.K. Tey; N. Gisin; N. Lindlein; N. Lindlein; N. Piro; P. Kochan; P. Kolchin; R. Dorn; R. Maiwald; R. Maiwald; R. Oron; R.W. Berends; S. Quabis; S. Quabis; S. Tidwell; S. Tidwell; S.A. Aljunid; S.J. Enk van; S.J. Enk van; V. Weisskopf; W. Dür; Y. Wang; Z. Bomzon; Z. Ghadyani; Z.G. Zhang

research

Generation of a wave packet tailored to efficient free space excitation of a single atom

Abstract

We demonstrate the generation of an optical dipole wave suitable for the process of efficiently coupling single quanta of light and matter in free space. We employ a parabolic mirror for the conversion of a transverse beam mode to a focused dipole wave and show the required spatial and temporal shaping of the mode incident onto the mirror. The results include a proof of principle correction of the parabolic mirror's aberrations. For the application of exciting an atom with a single photon pulse we demonstrate the creation of a suitable temporal pulse envelope. We infer coupling strengths of 89% and success probabilities of up to 87% for the application of exciting a single atom for the current experimental parameters.Comment: to be published in Europ. Phys. J.