• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Ground-State Cooling of a Single Atom at the Center of an Optical Cavity

Andreas Reiserer, Christian Nölleke, Stephan Ritter, and Gerhard Rempe
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 223003 – Published 30 May 2013
Physics logo See Synopsis: Still Life with Atom

Abstract

A single neutral atom is trapped in a three-dimensional optical lattice at the center of a high-finesse optical resonator. Using fluorescence imaging and a shiftable standing-wave trap, the atom is deterministically loaded into the maximum of the intracavity field where the atom-cavity coupling is strong. After 5 ms of Raman sideband cooling, the three-dimensional motional ground state is populated with a probability of (89±2)%. Our system is the first to simultaneously achieve quantum control over all degrees of freedom of a single atom: its position and momentum, its internal state, and its coupling to light.

  • Received 20 December 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.223003

© 2013 American Physical Society

Synopsis

Key Image

Still Life with Atom

Published 30 May 2013

Researchers have trapped a single atom in a tiny cavity, controlling its motion, position, and coupling to photons.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Andreas Reiserer, Christian Nölleke, Stephan Ritter*, and Gerhard Rempe

  • Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany

  • *stephan.ritter@mpq.mpg.de

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 110, Iss. 22 — 31 May 2013

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×