Related papers: An optical isolator using an atomic vapor in the h…
We investigate quantum control of a single atom in an optical tweezer trap created by a tightly focused optical beam. We show that longitudinal polarization components in the dipole trap arising from the breakdown of the paraxial…
We show that tri-layer structures combining epsilon-negative and magneto-optical material layers can exhibit unidirectional resonant photon tunneling phenomena that can discriminate between circularly-polarized (CP) waves of given…
We demonstrate a Doppler cooling and detection scheme for ions with low-lying D levels which almost entirely suppresses scattered laser light background, while retaining a high fluorescence signal and efficient cooling. We cool a single ion…
We describe a simple and compact single-chamber apparatus for robust production of $^87$Rb Bose-Einstein condensates. The apparatus is built from off-the-shelf components and allows production of quasi-pure condensates of > $3\times 10^5$…
We investigate the interaction of tightly focused light with the surface-plasmon-polariton resonances of metal nanospheres. In particular, we compute the scattering and absorption ratios as well as transmission and reflection coefficients.…
We report a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of near resonance light scattering from a high-density and ultracold atomic $^{87}$Rb gas. The atomic sample, having a peak density $\sim 5\cdot10^{13}$ atoms/cm$^{3}$,…
A strongly confined light field necessarily exhibits a local polarization that varies on a subwavelength scale. We demonstrate that a single optical mode of such kind can be used to selectively and simultaneously manipulate atomic ensembles…
We experimentally demonstrate hyperfine optical pumping of rubidium atoms probed by an evanescent electromagnetic field at a dielectric-vapor interface. This light-atom interaction at the nanoscale is investigated using a right angle prism…
We present an improved scheme for absorption imaging of alkali atoms at moderate magnetic fields, where the excited state is well in the Paschen-Back regime but the ground state hyperfine manifold is not. It utilizes four atomic levels to…
We report cooling of a single neutral atom to its three-dimensional vibrational ground state in an optical tweezer. After employing Raman sideband cooling for tens of milliseconds, we measure via sideband spectroscopy a three-dimensional…
We demonstrate the laser cooling of 85Rb atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice. We follow the two-step degenerate Raman sideband cooling scheme [Kerman et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 439 (2000)], where a fast cooling of atoms to an…
A combined experimental and theoretical investigation of time- and alignment-dependent propagation of light in an ultracold atomic gas of atomic $^{85}$Rb is reported. Coherences among the scattering amplitudes for light scattering off…
We introduce an all-glass, vacuum tight, fiber-integrated and alkali compatible spectroscopy device consisting of two conventional optical fibers spliced to each end of a capillary. This is mainly realized through a decentered splicing…
We investigate theoretically the application of tailored incoherent far-infrared fields in combination with laser excitation of a single rovibrational transition for rotational cooling of translationally cold polar diatomic molecules. The…
We present experimental techniques and results related to the optimization and characterization of our nanofiber-based atom trap [Vetsch et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 203603 (2010)]. The atoms are confined in an optical lattice which is…
We report on rubidium vapor-cell Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a 0.7~T magnetic field where all involved levels are in the hyperfine Paschen-Back regime, and the Rydberg state exhibits a strong diamagnetic…
Non-invasive optical manipulation of particles has emerged as a powerful and versatile tool for biological study and nanotechnology. In particular, trapping and rotation of cells, cell nuclei and sub-micron particles enables unique…
We report on three-dimensional optical trapping of single ions in an optical lattice formed by two counter-propagating laser beams. We characterize the trapping parameters of the standing wave using the ion as a sensor stored in a hybrid…
We study an ultracold Bose gas in an optical dipole trap consisting of one single focused laser beam. An analytical expression for the corresponding density of states beyond the usual harmonic approximation is obtained. We are thus able to…
We demonstrate an atomic Faraday dichroic beam splitter suitable to spatially separate signal and idler fields from pump degenerate four-wave mixing in an atomic source. By rotating the plane of polarization of one mode $90^{\circ}$ with…