Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 350-353 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Nature Physics |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 28 Mar 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
The onset of lasing in a classical laser is marked by a threshold that can be characterized by a sharp increase in photon flux as a function of external pumping strength. The same is not necessarily true for a single trapped atom interacting with a single optical mode. Quantum lasers have shown thresholdless lasing in the regime of strong coupling between an atom and a radiation field, but the existence of a threshold has been predicted. Here, we demonstrate and characterize a single-atom laser with and without threshold behaviour by changing the strength of atom/light-field coupling. We observe the establishment of a laser threshold through the accumulation of photons in the optical mode even for a mean photon number substantially lower than for the classical case. Our observations mark an important step towards a fundamental understanding of laser operation in the few-atom limit including systems based on semiconductor quantum dots or molecules.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- General Physics and Astronomy
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In: Nature Physics, Vol. 6, No. 5, 28.03.2010, p. 350-353.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantum to classical transition in a single-ion laser
AU - Dubin, François
AU - Russo, Carlos
AU - Barros, Helena G.
AU - Stute, Andreas
AU - Becher, Christoph
AU - Schmidt, Piet Oliver
AU - Blatt, Rainer
N1 - Funding information: We acknowledge fruitful discussions with T. Salzburger, H. Ritsch, H.-J. Briegel and P. Zoller. We thank E. S. Phillips for assistance during the early stages of the experiment. This work has been partially supported by the Austrian Science Fund (SFB 15), by the European Commission (QUEST network, HPRNCT-2000-00121, QUBITS network, IST-1999-13021, SCALA Integrated Project, Contract No. 015714) and by the ‘Institut für Quanteninformation GmbH’. C.R. acknowledges support from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia –SFRH/BD/6208/2001 and A.S. acknowledges support from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. P.O.S. acknowledges support through the Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space Time Research (QUEST) at the PTB in Braunschweig and University of Hannover.
PY - 2010/3/28
Y1 - 2010/3/28
N2 - The onset of lasing in a classical laser is marked by a threshold that can be characterized by a sharp increase in photon flux as a function of external pumping strength. The same is not necessarily true for a single trapped atom interacting with a single optical mode. Quantum lasers have shown thresholdless lasing in the regime of strong coupling between an atom and a radiation field, but the existence of a threshold has been predicted. Here, we demonstrate and characterize a single-atom laser with and without threshold behaviour by changing the strength of atom/light-field coupling. We observe the establishment of a laser threshold through the accumulation of photons in the optical mode even for a mean photon number substantially lower than for the classical case. Our observations mark an important step towards a fundamental understanding of laser operation in the few-atom limit including systems based on semiconductor quantum dots or molecules.
AB - The onset of lasing in a classical laser is marked by a threshold that can be characterized by a sharp increase in photon flux as a function of external pumping strength. The same is not necessarily true for a single trapped atom interacting with a single optical mode. Quantum lasers have shown thresholdless lasing in the regime of strong coupling between an atom and a radiation field, but the existence of a threshold has been predicted. Here, we demonstrate and characterize a single-atom laser with and without threshold behaviour by changing the strength of atom/light-field coupling. We observe the establishment of a laser threshold through the accumulation of photons in the optical mode even for a mean photon number substantially lower than for the classical case. Our observations mark an important step towards a fundamental understanding of laser operation in the few-atom limit including systems based on semiconductor quantum dots or molecules.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952010160&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/nphys1627
DO - 10.1038/nphys1627
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77952010160
VL - 6
SP - 350
EP - 353
JO - Nature Physics
JF - Nature Physics
SN - 1745-2473
IS - 5
ER -