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Cavity-Modified Collective Rayleigh Scattering of Two Atoms

René Reimann, Wolfgang Alt, Tobias Kampschulte, Tobias Macha, Lothar Ratschbacher, Natalie Thau, Seokchan Yoon, and Dieter Meschede
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 023601 – Published 14 January 2015
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Abstract

We report on the observation of cooperative radiation of exactly two neutral atoms strongly coupled to the single mode field of an optical cavity, which is close to the lossless-cavity limit. Monitoring the cavity output power, we observe constructive and destructive interference of collective Rayleigh scattering for certain relative distances between the two atoms. Because of cavity backaction onto the atoms, the cavity output power for the constructive two-atom case (N=2) is almost equal to the single-emitter case (N=1), which is in contrast to free-space where one would expect an N2 scaling of the power. These effects are quantitatively explained by a classical model as well as by a quantum mechanical model based on Dicke states. We extract information on the relative phases of the light fields at the atom positions and employ advanced cooling to reduce the jump rate between the constructive and destructive atom configurations. Thereby we improve the control over the system to a level where the implementation of two-atom entanglement schemes involving optical cavities becomes realistic.

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  • Received 26 August 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.023601

© 2015 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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A Cavity Just for Two

Published 14 January 2015

Two groups have independently isolated two atoms in a single cavity and measured that the collective light output is not simply the sum of single emitters.

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Authors & Affiliations

René Reimann1,*, Wolfgang Alt1, Tobias Kampschulte2, Tobias Macha1, Lothar Ratschbacher1, Natalie Thau1, Seokchan Yoon1, and Dieter Meschede1

  • 1Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn, Wegelerstraße 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany
  • 2Departement Physik, Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland

  • *reimann@iap.uni-bonn.de

See Also

Enhanced Quantum Interface with Collective Ion-Cavity Coupling

B. Casabone, K. Friebe, B. Brandstätter, K. Schüppert, R. Blatt, and T. E. Northup
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 023602 (2015)

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Vol. 114, Iss. 2 — 16 January 2015

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