Issue |
J. Eur. Opt. Soc.-Rapid Publ.
Volume 8, 2013
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 13052 | |
Number of page(s) | 6 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.2971/jeos.2013.13052 | |
Published online | 14 August 2013 |
Regular papers
The phase shift induced by a single atom in free space
Institute of Optics, Information and Photonics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Received:
13
June
2013
Accepted:
26
July
2013
In this article we theoretically study the phase shift a single atom imprints onto a coherent state light beam in free space. The calculations are performed in a semiclassical framework. The key parameters governing the interaction and thus the measurable phase shift are the solid angle from which the light is focused onto the atom and the overlap of the incident radiation with the atomic dipole radiation pattern. The analysis includes saturation effects and discusses the associated Kerr-type non-linearity of a single atom.
Key words: Atom-photon interaction / free space / phase shift / Kerr effect
© The Author(s) 2013. All rights reserved.
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