Open AccessDetecting photons in the dark region of Laguerre-Gauss beams
Author(s) -
Vasily Klimov,
Daniel Bloch,
M. Ducloy,
J. R. Rios Leite
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.009718
Subject(s) - physics , optics , photon , light beam , beam (structure) , quadrupole , magnetic field , electric field , dipole , excitation , magnetic dipole , atomic physics , quantum mechanics
We show that a photon detector, sensitive to the magnetic field or to the gradient of electric field, can help to characterize the quantum properties of spatially-dependent optical fields. We discuss the excitation of an atom through magnetic dipole or electric quadrupole transitions with the photons of a Bessel beam or a Laguerre-Gauss (LG) beams. These spiral beams are shown to be not true hollow beams, due to the presence of magnetic fields and gradients of electric fields on beam axis. This approach paves the way to an analysis at the quantum level of the propagating light beams having a complicated spatial structure.