2016/07/31 by Mateusz Łącki, M. Łącki, M. Baranov +4 · 80 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Atom (system on chip) #Atomic physics #Bound state #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Dark state #Dipole #Energetic neutral atom #Ion #Nanoscopic scale #Optical lattice #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum decoherence #Quantum mechanics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Quantum tunnelling #Ultracold atom #cond-mat.quant-gas #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.117.233001
published in Physical Review Letters 117(23), 233001 (American Physical Society) · 13 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letters
arxiv created 2016/10/25 · openalex publication_date 2016/11/30 · arxiv updated 2016/12/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We discuss the generation of subwavelength optical barriers on the scale of tens of nanometers, as conservative optical potentials for cold atoms. These arise from nonadiabatic corrections to Born-Oppenheimer potentials from dressed "dark states" in atomic Λ configurations. We illustrate the concepts with a double layer potential for atoms obtained from inserting an optical subwavelength barrier into a well generated by an off-resonant optical lattice, and discuss bound states of pairs of atoms interacting via magnetic dipolar interactions. The subwavelength optical barriers represent an optical "Kronig-Penney" potential. We present a detailed study of the band structure in optical Kronig-Penney potentials, including decoherence from spontaneous emission and atom loss to open "bright" channels.