Position and Temperature Measurements of a Single Atom via Resonant Fluorescence

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Date

2019-09-18

Authors

Wagner, Richard

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University of Oregon

Abstract

The magneto-optical trap (MOT) has been an important tool in quantum optics research for three decades. MOTs allow for hundreds of thousands to millions of atoms to be cooled to micro-Kelvin temperatures for use in a wide variety of experiments. For nearly as long, MOTs with just a single atom have been of some interest to the research community. We have developed an algorithm, based on Bayesian statistics, to carefully measure small numbers of atoms in a MOT. Many techniques have been developed to measure the temperature of atoms in a MOT, including some that can translate to single atoms. We propose a new technique to measure the temperature of a single atom without releasing the atom from the MOT. Temporal modulations in a spatially dependent magnetic field encode information about the position of an atom through associated variation in its fluorescence rate. Measuring this variation reveals the atom's position distribution and therefore its temperature. The technique is examined for a variety of MOT parameters. Measurements with the technique are an order of magnitude larger than predicted by theory and potential routes for future study are offered.

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