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A method for controlling the spins of atoms using optical near‐fields
Author(s) -
Shojiguchi A.,
Kitahara K.,
Kobayashi K.,
Ohtsu M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01157.x
Subject(s) - spins , polarization (electrochemistry) , dielectric , physics , atom (system on chip) , atomic physics , spontaneous emission , magnetic field , circular polarization , electromagnetic field , spin polarization , electron , condensed matter physics , optics , chemistry , quantum mechanics , laser , computer science , embedded system
Summary On the basis of the procedure for controlling the spins of atoms using circularly polarized evanescent light proposed by Hori et al. [(1996) Abstracts of the 1st Asia‐Pacific Workshop on Near‐field Optics] we discuss the influence of boundary conditions on the probability of spontaneous emission and thus on the spin polarization efficiency, which was not considered in the Hori et al. study. Using the Carniglia–Mandel mode expansion of electromagnetic fields, we derive the spontaneous emission and spin polarization probabilities of atoms near a dielectric surface, and show the atom–surface distance dependence and refractive index dependence. Numerical evaluation for the 6 P 1/2 –6 S 1/2 transition of a Cs atom indicates an increase in the efficiency of spin polarization by 30%.