Related papers: Accurate Atom Counting in Mesoscopic Ensembles
The analysis of entangled atomic ensembles and their application for interferometry beyond the standard quantum limit requires an accurate determination of the number of atoms. We present an accurate fluorescence detection technique for…
We experimentally demonstrate an atom number detector capable of simultaneous detection of two mesoscopic ensembles with single-atom resolution. Such a sensitivity is a prerequisite for quantum metrology at a precision approaching the…
For mesoscopic ensembles containing 100 or more atoms we measure the total atom number and the number of atoms in a specific hyperfine state with single-atom resolution. The measurement detects the atom-induced shift of the resonance…
Recording the fluorescence of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) is a standard tool for measuring atom numbers in experiments with ultracold atoms. When trapping few atoms in a small MOT, the emitted fluorescence increases with the atom number in…
Over the last two decades the cold-atom physics has matured from proof-of-principle demonstrations to a versatile platform for precision measurements and study of quantum phenomena. Ultra-cold atomic ensembles have been used both for…
We use an optical cavity to detect single atoms magnetically trapped on an atom chip. We implement the detection using both fluorescence into the cavity and reduction in cavity transmission due to the presence of atoms. In fluorescence, we…
Photon counting is a cornerstone of quantum optics. Here, we demonstrate precisely counting from 0 to over 9000 photons, beating the Poisson noise limit by at least $4.1~\mathrm{dB}$ across this range. We achieve sub-single-photon precision…
Resonant frequency modulation spectroscopy has been previously used as a highly-sensitive method for measuring the output of cold atom interferometers. Using a detailed model that accounts for optical saturation, laser intensities and…
Single-photon detection and photon counting play a central role in a large number of quantum communication and computation protocols. While the efficiency of state-of-the-art photo-detectors is well below the desired limits, quantum state…
The atom-by-atom characterization of quantum gases requires the development of novel measurement techniques. One particularly promising new technique demonstrated in recent experiments uses strong fluorescent laser scattering from neutral…
Atom interferometers are promising tools for precision measurement with applications ranging from geophysical exploration to tests of the equivalence principle of general relativity, or the detection of gravitational waves. Their optimal…
Macroscopic quantum phenomena, such as observed in superfluids and superconductors, have led to promising technological advancements and some of the most important tests of fundamental physics. At present, quantum detection of light is…
We demonstrate preparation and detection of an atom number distribution in a one-dimensional atomic lattice with the variance $-14$ dB below the Poissonian noise level. A mesoscopic ensemble containing a few thousand atoms is trapped in the…
We analyse photoionisation and ion detection as a means of accurately counting ultra-cold atoms. We show that it is possible to count clouds containing many thousands of atoms with accuracies better than $N^{-1/2}$ with current technology.…
Scalable atom-based quantum platforms for simulation, computing, and metrology require fast high-fidelity, low-loss imaging of individual atoms. Standard fluorescence detection methods rely on continuous cooling, limiting the detection…
In cold atomic systems, fast and high-resolution microscopy of individual atoms is crucial, since it can provide direct information on the dynamics and correlations of the system. Here, we demonstrate nanosecond-scale two-dimensional…
We demonstrate a method to count small numbers of atoms held in a deep, microscopic optical dipole trap by collecting fluorescence from atoms exposed to a standing wave of light that is blue detuned from resonance. While scattering photons,…
A natural approach to measure the time of arrival of an atom at a spatial region is to illuminate this region with a laser and detect the first fluorescence photons produced by the excitation of the atom and subsequent decay. We investigate…
Magneto-optical traps are central to atomic and molecular quantum technologies and precision tests of fundamental physics, where both sensitivity and bandwidth scale strongly with atom number and loading rate. We demonstrate that employing…
We demonstrate an optical method for detecting the mechanical oscillations of an atom with single-phonon sensitivity. The measurement signal results from the interference between the light scattered by a single trapped atomic ion and that…