TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhanced quadrupole effects for atoms in optical vortices
AU - Lembessis, V.E.
AU - Babiker, M.
PY - 2013/2/21
Y1 - 2013/2/21
N2 - We show that the normally weak optical quadrupole interaction in atoms is enhanced significantly when the atom interacts at near resonance with an optical vortex. In particular, the forces and torque acting on the atom are shown here to scale up with the square of the winding number l of the vortex. Because the integer l can be arranged to be large, this property allows for processes involving dipole-forbidden, but quadrupole-allowed, transitions in atoms, such as cesium and oxygen, to come into play. We show that the mechanical effects of vortex light on atoms involving translational and rotational motion as well as trapping should be significantly enhanced for quadrupole transitions and present novel features with useful implications for the emerging field of atomtronics.
AB - We show that the normally weak optical quadrupole interaction in atoms is enhanced significantly when the atom interacts at near resonance with an optical vortex. In particular, the forces and torque acting on the atom are shown here to scale up with the square of the winding number l of the vortex. Because the integer l can be arranged to be large, this property allows for processes involving dipole-forbidden, but quadrupole-allowed, transitions in atoms, such as cesium and oxygen, to come into play. We show that the mechanical effects of vortex light on atoms involving translational and rotational motion as well as trapping should be significantly enhanced for quadrupole transitions and present novel features with useful implications for the emerging field of atomtronics.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874161953&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.083002
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.083002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84874161953
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 110
SP - 1
EP - 5
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 8
M1 - 083002
ER -