Experimental Realization of an Optical One-Way Barrier for Neutral Atoms

Abstract

We demonstrate an asymmetric optical potential barrier for ultracold 87 Rb atoms using laser light tuned near the D_2 optical transition. Such a one-way barrier, where atoms impinging on one side are transmitted but reflected from the other, is a realization of Maxwell's demon and has important implications for cooling atoms and molecules not amenable to standard laser-cooling techniques. In our experiment, atoms are confined to a far-detuned dipole trap consisting of a single focused Gaussian beam, which is divided near the focus by the barrier. The one-way barrier consists of two focused laser beams oriented almost normal to the dipole-trap axis. The first beam is tuned to have a red (blue) detuning from the F=1 -> F' (F=2 -> F') hyperfine transitions, and thus presents a barrier only for atoms in the F=2 ground state, while letting F=1 atoms pass. The second beam pumps the atoms to F=2 on the reflecting side of the barrier, thus producing the asymmetry.

5 pages, 4 figures; includes changes to address referee comments

References in corpus (4)

• Single-Photon Atomic Cooling
• Compression of Atomic Phase Space Using an Asymmetric One-Way Barrier
• Improvement by laser quenching of an "atom diode": a one-way barrier for ultra-cold atoms
• Three-dimensional effects in "atom diodes": atom-optical devices for one-way motion

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Spin Field Effect Transistors with Ultracold Atoms
• Dressed-particle approach in the nonrelativistic classical limit
• Dynamics of Cold Atoms Crossing a One-Way Barrier
• Atom cooling with an atom-optical diode on a ring
• Spin mixing in colliding spinor condensates: formation of an effective barrier
• Comment on "Entropy production and the arrow of time"