Cold-atom dynamics in crossed-laser-beam waveguides

E. Torrontegui (1) , E. Echanobe (2) , A. Ruschhaupt (3) , David Guéry-Odelin (4) , J. G. Muga (5)

1 Departamento de Química-Física
2 Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica
3 ITP - Institut für Theoretische Physik [Hannover]
4 Atomes Froids (LCAR)
5 Departamento de Qumica-Fsica, UPV-EHU

We study the dynamics of neutral cold atoms in an L-shaped crossed-beam optical waveguide formed by two perpendicular red-detuned lasers of different intensities and a blue-detuned laser at the corner. The motion in one sense is optimized, and the motion in the other sense may be suppressed even if it is energetically allowed. Quantum and classical simulations are performed and give similar results. Complemented with a vibrational cooling process we find a range of parameters for which this setting works as a one-way device or "atom diode."

E. Torrontegui, E. Echanobe, A. Ruschhaupt, David Guéry-Odelin, J. G. Muga. Cold-atom dynamics in crossed-laser-beam waveguides. Physical Review A : Atomic, molecular, and optical physics [1990-2015], 2010, 82 (4), 043420 [7 p.]. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevA.82.043420⟩. ⟨hal-00910838⟩