Induced emission due to the quantized motion of ultracold atoms passing through a micromaser cavity. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The abrupt change in the atom-field coupling strength which an atom experiences upon passing into and out of a micromaser cavity leads to changes in the atomic center-of-mass motion. For fast (thermal) atoms, small momentum changes give rise to stimulated emission. Very slow (laser-cooled) atoms, however, can be reflected from or tunnel through the cavity, and in the process undergo a new kind of induced emission. This changes the photon statistics of the micromaser completely. Resonances occur for particular values of the interaction length. 1996 The American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • Phys Rev Lett

author list (cited authors)

  • Scully, M. O., Meyer, G. M., & Walther, H.

citation count

  • 120

complete list of authors

  • Scully, MO||Meyer, GM||Walther, H

publication date

  • May 1996