Calibration of a single atom detector for atomic micro chips

Abstract

We experimentally investigate a scheme for detecting single atoms magnetically trapped on an atom chip. The detector is based on the photoionization of atoms and the subsequent detection of the generated ions. We describe the characterization of the ion detector with emphasis on its calibration via the correlation of ions with simultaneously generated electrons. A detection efficiency of 47.8% (+-2.6%) is measured, which is useful for single atom detection, and close to the limit allowing atom counting with sub-Poissonian uncertainty.

References in corpus (8)

• Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms
• Matter-wave interferometry in a double well on an atom chip
• Formation of ultracold LiCs molecules
• Extended Coherence Time with Atom-Number Squeezed Sources
• Resonator-Aided Single-Atom Detection on a Microfabricated Chip
• Cavity QED Detection of Interfering Matter Waves
• Spatially resolved photo ionization of ultracold atoms on an atom chip
• Atom counting in ultra-cold gases using photoionisation and ion detection

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Highly-efficient state-selective sub-microsecond photoionization detection of single atoms
• Atomic entanglement generation and detection via degenerate four-wave-mixing of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical lattice
• Ion detection in the photoionization of a Rb Bose-Einstein condensate
• Weak localization with nonlinear bosonic matter waves