Probing quantum cores of optical vortices with atoms

Jörg B. Götte; Mark R. Dennis

doi:10.1117/12.876882

16 February 2011 Probing quantum cores of optical vortices with atoms

Jörg B. Götte, Mark R. Dennis

Proceedings Volume 7950, Complex Light and Optical Forces V; 79500U (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.876882
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2011, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Optical vortices are points of zero intensity in a two dimensional, classical optical field. As first discussed by Berry and Dennis [Berry, M. V. and Dennis, M. R., "Quantum cores of optical phase singularities" Journal of Optics A 6, S178-S180 (2004)] these singularities are replaced by 'quantum cores' in a deeper level of description. In a fully quantized theory of optical fields an excited atom trapped at the singularity can emit light spontaneously and hence soften the perfect zero of an optical vortex. More recently Barnett [Barnett, S. M., "On the quantum cores of a optical vortex," Journal of Modern Optics 55, 2279-2292 (2008)] presented a more realistic analysis of quantum cores which accounts for the effect of the trapping potential on the transition dynamics inside a vortex core. Here, we revisit the scenario of emission near an optical vortex in the realistic setting of Barnett.

Citation Download Citation

Jörg B. Götte and Mark R. Dennis "Probing quantum cores of optical vortices with atoms", Proc. SPIE 7950, Complex Light and Optical Forces V, 79500U (16 February 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.876882

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