Cavity-Enhanced Superradiant Phenomena in Optically Trapped Atomic Ytterbium

University Of Oregon Eugene, Eugene OR

Investigators

Abstract

This project focuses on a study of strong optical superradiance that utilizes cold ytterbium atoms contained within a magneto-optical trap and a short-memory-time optical cavity. Strong superradiance comprises the regime of radiative decay where correlations within a material sample lead to radiative energy damping on time scales substantially different from the natural lifetime of the constituent quantum systems. The use of the short-memory-time cavity accelerates the time scale on which superradiance occurs within a specific atomic sample while leaving the system dynamics otherwise unchanged. As a result, strong superradiance can be observed in optically thin atomic samples and therefore in the absence of intra-sample field propagation effects. The use of cavity acceleration and essentially non-dephasing atomic ytterbium provides the first experimental opportunity to demonstrate and investigate strong superradiance under conditions similar to those assumed in original descriptions.