Cavity atom optics and the 'free atom laser'

J. Heurich, M. G. Moore, P. Meystre

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The trap environment in which Bose-Einstein condensates are generated and/or stored strongly influences the way they interact with light. The situation is analogous to cavity QED in quantum optics, except that in the present case, one tailors the matter-wave mode density rather than the density of modes of the optical field. Just as in QED, for short times, the atoms do not sense the trap and propagate as in free space. After times long enough that recoiling atoms can probe the trap environment, however, the way condensates and light fields are mutually influenced differs significantly from the free-space situation. We use as an example the condensate collective atomic recoil laser, which is the atomic matter-wave analog of the free-electron laser.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)549-558
Number of pages10
JournalOptics Communications
Volume179
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 25 2000
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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