Atom Fiber Optics

Presented by Prof. Eric Abraham, JILA

Atom optics attempts to manipulate the deBroglie waves of atoms by constructing for atoms analogues to their optical counterparts: atom mirrors, atom lenses, atom beamsplitters, and atom gratings. We have developed and investigated fiber optics for atoms. By using hollow-core optical fibers, atoms can be transported in ways similar to transporting photons in fiber optics. Total internal reflection of the atoms from the glass wall is accomplished by evanescent fields from laser light tuned near an atomic resonance and confined in the annular core surrounding the hollow region. Recent results in combining this research with laser cooling and trapping techniques will be discussed as well as its relationships to atom interferometers, atomic clocks, and Bose-Einstein condensation.