Atomic spin decoherence near conducting and superconducting films
Abstract
We derive scaling laws for the spin decoherence of neutral atoms trapped near conducting and superconducting plane surfaces. A new result for thin films sheds light on the measurement of Y.J. Lin, I. Teper, C. Chin, and V. Vuleti\'{c} [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{92}, 050404 (2004)]. Our calculation is based on a quantum-theoretical treatment of electromagnetic radiation near metallic bodies [P.K. Rekdal, S. Scheel, P.L. Knight, and E.A. Hinds, Phys. Rev. A \textbf{70}, 013811 (2004)]. We show that there is a critical atom-surface distance that maximizes the spin relaxation rate and we show how this depends on the skin depth and thickness of the metal surface. In the light of this impedance-matching effect we discuss the spin relaxation to be expected above a thin superconducting niobium layer.
Cite
@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0501149,
title = {Atomic spin decoherence near conducting and superconducting films},
author = {Stefan Scheel and Per-Kristian Rekdal and Peter L. Knight and Edward A. Hinds},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0501149},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 3 figures, typeset using RevTeX