AN INTEGRATED ATOM CHIP FOR THE DETECTION AND MANIPULATION OF COLD ATOMS USING A TWO-PHOTON TRANSITION

Abstract

We have designed and constructed an atom chip experiment for background free, high- resolution atom detection using a two-photon transition. The chip consists of an atomic conveyor belt, which allows deterministic positioning of the atom cloud in a plane parallel to the surface of the chip and bring it precisely to an integrated micro-optics for detection and manipulation. A two-photon transition scheme for Rubidium (Rb) 5S1/2 to 4D5/2 at 1033.3 nm is spectroscopically observed for this purpose. This transition could be exploited for frequency standard for Yb-fiber lasers, creation of far-red detuned dipole trap (off resonant), for selective excitation of few atoms in a cloud (in the Rayleigh volume) and for super- resolution imaging. Detection of the atoms would be background free as excitation happens for 5S1/2 to 4D5/2 transition at 1033.3 nm and atom decays back to the ground state via 5P3/2 level emitting photon of the wavelength 780.2 nm.