English

Single-atom detection using whispering gallery modes of microdisk resonators

Quantum Physics 2009-11-10 v1

Abstract

We investigate the possibility of using dielectric microdisk resonators for the optical detection of single atoms trapped and cooled in magnetic microtraps near the surface of a substrate. The bound and evanescent fields of optical whispering gallery modes are calculated and the coupling to straight waveguides is investigated using finite-difference time domain solutions of Maxwell's equations. Results are compared with semi-analytical solutions based on coupled mode theory. We discuss atom detection efficiencies and the feasibility of non-destructive measurements in such a system depending on key parameters such as disk size, disk-waveguide coupling, and scattering losses.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0407229,
  title  = {Single-atom detection using whispering gallery modes of microdisk resonators},
  author = {Michael Rosenblit and Peter Horak and Steve Helsby and Ron Folman},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0407229},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

10 pages, 10 fugures