Enhancing Light-Matter Interfaces via Collective Self-Organization

通过集体自组织增强光-物质界面

• 批准号: 1206040
• 负责人: Daniel Gauthier
• 金额: $ 48万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1206040&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Enhancing; Light; Matter; Interfaces; via

The primary goal of this quantum nonlinear optics research program is to study a new type of light-matter interface, realized by laser driving cold atoms, that has very large coupling strength, low absorption, and long atomic coherence times. It arises due to the simultaneous action of Sisyphus cooling of the atoms and atomic bunching in wavelength-scale structures. Fields self-generated by the light-matter interaction have a large affect on the center-of-mass motion of the atoms in a single pass through the medium, giving rise to self-assembled spatial structures in the absence of a cavity. These structures act back on the fields, giving rise to long coherence times, slow light, and quantum optical patterns arising from an absolute instability (phase transition). The investigators are using this light-matter interface to: 1) Observe a low-light-level (potentially single-photon) nonlinear phase shift when the laser-driven gas is placed in an interferometer; 2) Measure the quantum statistical properties of the radiation scattered by the driven gas of atoms near the phase transition to test recent predictions of an associated Dicke-like model; 3) Measure spontaneous pattern formation in the driven gas and correlate to the atomic spatial reorganization; 4) Observe three-dimensional (3D) Sisyphus cooling when pumping the gas with counterpropagating Bessel beams, thereby dramatically increasing the quantum coherence time of the interaction; 5) Develop a self-consistent model of the light matter interaction that accounts for propagation of the optical fields, polarization of the atoms, center-of-mass atomic motion, and Sisyphus cooling in 3D; and 6) Extend the free-space Dicke-like model to account for the new physics found in this system. This work will provide new experimental and theoretical understanding of a unique physical system that has applications to quantum nonlinear optics, especially in the development of single-photon nonlinear interactions and the study of classical and quantum phase transitions in a well-controlled environment. The program has also has implications for the study of far-from equilibrium quantum phase transitions, cold-atom physics, and condensed matter physics. Broader Impact: From a broad perspective, the program has the potential to improve the performance of nonlinear optical devices by increasing the nonlinear optical sensitivity making it possible to shrink the size of the device and lower the power requirements. From an educational perspective, the program will results in the training of two graduate students in an interdisciplinary environment in both experimental and theoretical techniques in the enabling field of optical physics. It is noteworthy that the PI has been very effective in mentoring women and minority scientists and has undertaken substantial outreach in the local area elementary and middle schools to help attract more people to the science disciplines.

这个量子非线性光学研究计划的主要目标是研究一种新型的光-物质界面，通过激光驱动冷原子实现，具有非常大的耦合强度，低吸收和长原子相干时间。它的出现是由于同时作用的西西弗斯冷却的原子和原子聚束在波长尺度的结构。光与物质相互作用产生的场对原子在单次穿过介质时的质心运动有很大的影响，从而在没有腔的情况下产生自组装空间结构。这些结构对场产生反作用，产生长相干时间、慢光和由绝对不稳定性（相变）引起的量子光学图案。研究人员正在使用这种光-物质界面：1）观察一个低亮度的（潜在的单光子）非线性相移时，激光驱动的气体被放置在一个干涉仪2）测量的量子统计性质的辐射散射的驱动气体的原子附近的相变，以测试最近的预测相关联的Dicke-like模型; 4）当用反向传播的贝塞尔光束泵浦气体时，观察三维（3D）西西弗斯冷却，从而显著增加相互作用的量子相干时间; 5）开发一个光物质相互作用的自洽模型，该模型解释了光场的传播，原子的偏振，质心原子运动和3D中的西西弗斯冷却; 6）扩展自由空间迪克模型，以解释在该系统中发现的新物理。 这项工作将提供一个独特的物理系统，具有应用于量子非线性光学，特别是在单光子非线性相互作用的发展和经典和量子相变的研究在一个良好的控制环境中的新的实验和理论理解。该计划还对远离平衡的量子相变，冷原子物理学和凝聚态物理学的研究产生了影响。 更广泛的影响：从广泛的角度来看，该计划有可能通过提高非线性光学灵敏度来提高非线性光学器件的性能，从而缩小器件的尺寸并降低功率要求。从教育的角度来看，该计划将导致两名研究生在光学物理学的使能领域的实验和理论技术的跨学科环境中的培训。 值得注意的是，PI在指导妇女和少数民族科学家方面非常有效，并在当地中小学开展了大量外联活动，以帮助吸引更多的人学习科学学科。