Related papers: Atomic-scale confinement of optical fields
We report investigation of near-resonance light scattering from a cold and dense atomic gas of $^{87}$Rb atoms. Measurements are made for probe frequencies tuned near the $F=2\to F'=3$ nearly closed hyperfine transition, with particular…
We propose a new class of nanoscale electro-optical traps for neutral atoms. A prototype is the toroidal trap created by a suspended, charged carbon nanotube decorated with a silver nanosphere dimer. An illuminating laser field, blue…
The self-assembly of metallic nanoparticles is a promising route to metasurfaces with unique properties for many optical applications, such as surface-enhanced spectroscopy, light manipulation, and sensing. We present an in-depth…
Interference is central to quantum physics and occurs when indistinguishable paths exist, like in a double-slit experiment. Replacing the two slits with two single atoms introduces optical non-linearities for which nontrivial interference…
Plasmonic nanojunctions, consisting of adjacent metal structures with nanometre gaps, can support localised plasmon resonances that boost light matter interactions and concentrate electromagnetic fields at the nanoscale. In this regime, the…
We use atomic spectra to extend pure Coulomb's law tests to larger masses. We interpret these results in terms of constraints for hidden sector photons. With existing data the bounds for hidden photons are not improved. However we find that…
We overcome the diffraction limit in fluorescence imaging of neutral atoms in a sparsely filled one-dimensional optical lattice. At a periodicity of 433 nm, we reliably infer the separation of two atoms down to nearest neighbors. We observe…
Efficient coupling of light to single atomic systems has gained considerable attention over the past decades. This development is driven by the continuous growth of quantum technologies. The efficient coupling of light and matter is an…
Optically levitated nanospheres are highly sensitive to the motion of their center of mass even under small momentum transfer. We propose detecting exotic particles via nucleon scattering in such spheres in the context of an ongoing…
We report on the realization and characterisation of optical potentials for ultracold atoms using a superluminescent diode. The light emitted by this class of diodes is characterised by high spatial coherence but low temporal coherence. On…
We propose a scheme for simultaneously trapping and detecting single atoms near the surface of a substrate using whispering gallery modes of a microdisk resonator. For efficient atom-mode coupling the atom should be placed within…
We report new limits on ultralight scalar dark matter (DM) with dilaton-like couplings to photons that can induce oscillations in the fine-structure constant alpha. Atomic dysprosium exhibits an electronic structure with two nearly…
The inherently weak nonlinear optical response of bulk materials remains a fundamental limitation in advancing photonic technologies. Nanophotonics addresses this challenge by tailoring the size and morphology of nanostructures to…
We report the observation of a large-angle self-collimation phenomenon occurring in photonic crystals composed of nanorods. Electromagnetic waves incident onto such photonic crystals from directions covering a wide-range of incident angles…
Cavity quantum electrodynamics offers the possibility to observe and control the motion of few or individual atoms, enabling the realization of various quantum technological tasks such as quantum-enhanced metrology or quantum simulation of…
We analyze the creation of spin squeezed atomic ensembles by simultaneous dispersive interactions with several optical frequencies. A judicious choice of optical parameters enables optimization of an interferometric detection scheme that…
The vast majority of physical objects we are dealing with are almost exclusively made of atoms. Due to their discrete level structure, single atoms have proved to be emitters of light which is incompatible with the classical description of…
Atoms are ideal quantum sensors and quantum light emitters. Interfacing atoms with nanophotonic devices promises novel nanoscale sensing and quantum optical functionalities. But precise optical control of atomic states in these devices is…
Besides being a source of energy, light can also cool gases of atoms down to the lowest temperatures ever measured, where atomic motion almost stops. The research field of cold atoms has emerged as a multidisciplinary one, highly relevant,…
The near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) is not only a tool for imaging of objects in the sub wavelength limit but also a prominent characteristic tool for understanding the intrinsic properties of the nanostructures. The effect of…