Broadening mechanisms and their effects in non-classical correlations on cavity QED with atomic beams

Abstract

Doppler and transit broadening effects inherent in a thermal atomic beam reduce the size of quantum fluctuations in a cavity QED system. A cold continuous atomic beam would reduce these effects, but would not eliminate the different atom–field couplings associated with the random distribution of atoms throughout the cavity. We present results that describe the effect that this has on quantum fluctuations and how it could be used to improve future studies on the fluctuations from a cavity QED system. We also report on experimental progress towards a continuous cold atom source.