Abstract
Hybrid quantum devices, incorporating both atoms and photons, can exploit the benefits of both to enable scalable architectures for quantum computing and quantum communication, as well as chip-scale sensors and single-photon sources. Production of such devices depends on the development of an interface between their atomic and photonic components. This should be compact, robust and compatible with existing technologies from both fields. Here we demonstrate such an interface. Cold cesium atoms are trapped inside a transverse, 30 $\mu$m diameter through-hole in an optical fiber, created via laser micromachining. When the guided light is on resonance with the cesium $D_2$ line, up to 87% of it is absorbed by the atoms. The corresponding optical depth per unit length is 700 cm$^{-1}$, higher than any reported for a comparable system. This is important for miniaturisation and scalability. The technique can be equally effective in optical waveguide chips and other existing photonic systems, providing a new platform for fundamental research.
Highlights
Interfacing cold atoms with optical waveguides has been a very active field of research over the past two decades [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Using probe beam power Ppr = 13 pW, we measured 87% ± 2% absorption caused by the atoms, corresponding to an optical depth (OD) of 2.1 ± 0.2, leading to an optical depth per unit length of 700 cm−1
We have demonstrated efficient coupling of a cold atomic ensemble, introduced into a laser-micromachined hole in an Relative absorption z pos. [mm]
Summary
Interfacing cold atoms with optical waveguides has been a very active field of research over the past two decades [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. We describe a universal technique capable of interfacing cold atoms with nearly any existing waveguide system This approach will allow hybrid devices to take full advantage of the capabilities of all-optical waveguide chips, which have reached a very high level of development [23,24,25]. We measure the optical depth per unit length of our trapped atom cloud at ∼700 cm−1, greater than any value found in the literature for a comparable system [29,30] This has important benefits for device miniaturization, enabling scalability of the number of waveguide-atom interfaces within a small device and improving spatial resolution in sensing applications [8]. Our results represent an important advance towards the goal of combining cold atoms and optical waveguides into an integrated and scalable quantum device
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