Single Atoms

Manipulation of Single Atoms

Trapping of single atoms with single photons in cavity QED

Two recent experiments have reported the trapping of individual atoms inside optical resonators by the mechanical forces associated with single photons @Hood et al., Science 287, 1447 ~2000!; Pinkse et al., Nature ~London! 404, 365 ~2000!#. Here we analyze the trapping dynamics in these settings, focusing on two points of interest. First, we investigate the extent to which light-induced forces ...

The single electron transistor and artificial atoms

Modern techniques of lithography make it possible to confine electrons to sufficiently small dimensions that the quantization of both their charge and their energy are easily observable. When such confined electrons are allowed to tunnel to metallic leads a single electron transistor (SET) is created. This transistor turns on and off again every time one electron is added to the isolated region...

Electric field imaging of single atoms

In scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), single atoms can be imaged by detecting electrons scattered through high angles using post-specimen, annular-type detectors. Recently, it has been shown that the atomic-scale electric field of both the positive atomic nuclei and the surrounding negative electrons within crystalline materials can be probed by atomic-resolution differential pha...

Trapping of single atoms in cavity QED

By integrating the techniques of laser cooling and trapping with those of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), single Cesium atoms have been trapped within the mode of a small, high finesse optical cavity in a regime of strong coupling. The observed lifetime for individual atoms trapped within the cavity mode is τ ≈ 28ms, and is limited by fluctuations of light forces arising from the far-detu...