M. Morinaga

Optical nanofiber as an efficient tool for manipulating and probing atomic fluorescence

We experimentally demonstrate efficient coupling of atomic fluorescence to the guided mode of a subwavelength-diameter silica fiber, an optical nanofiber. We show that fluorescence of a very small number of atoms, around the nanofiber can be readily observed through a single-mode optical fiber. We also show that such a technique enables us to probe the van der Waals interaction between atoms and surface with high precision by observing the fluorescence excitation spectrum through the nanofiber.

Atom trapping and guiding with a subwavelength-diameter optical fiber

We suggest using an evanescent wave around a thin fiber to trap atoms. We show that the gradient force of a red-detuned evanescent-wave field in the fundamental mode of a silica fiber can balance the centrifugal force when the fiber diameter is about two times smaller than the wavelength of the light and the component of the angular momentum of the atoms along the fiber axis is in an appropriate range. As an example, the system should be realizable for cesium atoms at a temperature of less than

Efficient channeling of fluorescence photons from single quantum dots into guided modes of optical nanofiber.

0.29\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}

Measurement of fluorescence emission spectrum of few strongly driven atoms using an optical nanofiber

using a silica fiber with a radius of

Electric trapping of neutral atoms

0.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}

Circular Magneto-Optical Trap for Neutral Atoms

and a

Observation of the Ca 4s1S0-4p3P1 Transition in Continuous Free-Falling Cold Atomic Flow from an Atom Trap

1.3\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}

Wave propagation through a set of slits

-wavelength light with a power of about

Photon field in the presence of a nanofiber

27\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mW}

Efficient channeling of single photons into single mode optical fiber

.