Spectral Asymmetry of Atoms in the van der Waals Potential of an Optical Nanofiber

Abstract

We measure the modification of the transmission spectra of cold ${}^{87}$Rb atoms in the proximity of an optical nanofiber (ONF). Van der Waals interactions between the atoms an the ONF surface decrease the resonance frequency of atoms closer to the surface. An asymmetric spectra of the atoms holds information of their spatial distribution around the ONF. We use a far-detuned laser beam coupled to the ONF to thermally excite atoms at the ONF surface. We study the change of transmission spectrum of these atoms as a function of heating laser power. A semi-classical phenomenological model for the thermal excitation of atoms in the atom-surface van der Waals bound states is in good agreement with the measurements. This result suggests that van der Waals potentials could be used to trap and probe atoms at few nanometers from a dielectric surfaces, a key tool for hybrid photonic-atomic quantum systems.

References in corpus (5)

• Chiral Quantum Optics
• Super-radiance reveals infinite-range dipole interactions through a nanofiber
• Cold Atom Physics Using Ultra-Thin Optical Fibers: Light-Induced Dipole Forces and Surface Interactions
• Spontaneous radiative decay of translational levels of an atom near a dielectric surface
• Alignment-dependent decay rate of an atomic dipole near an optical nanofiber

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Generation of cold Rydberg atoms at submicron distances from an optical nanofiber
• Measurement of the atom-surface van der Waals interaction by transmission spectroscopy in a wedged nano-cell
• Alignment-dependent decay rate of an atomic dipole near an optical nanofiber
• Cold atoms in micromachined waveguides: a new platform for atom-photon interaction
• Probing Surface-Bound Atoms with Quantum Nanophotonics