01465nas a2200205 4500008004100000245006900041210006800110260001500178300001100193490000700204520085500211100002201066700001401088700001901102700002001121700002101141700001701162700002501179856005501204 2016 eng d00aSubwavelength-width optical tunnel junctions for ultracold atoms0 aSubwavelengthwidth optical tunnel junctions for ultracold atoms c2016/12/27 a0634220 v943 a
We propose a method for creating far-field optical barrier potentials for ultracold atoms with widths that are narrower than the diffraction limit and can approach tens of nanometers. The reduced widths stem from the nonlinear atomic response to control fields that create spatially varying dark resonances. The subwavelength barrier is the result of the geometric scalar potential experienced by an atom prepared in such a spatially varying dark state. The performance of this technique, as well as its applications to the study of many-body physics and to the implementation of quantum-information protocols with ultracold atoms, are discussed, with a focus on the implementation of tunnel junctions.
1 aJendrzejewski, F.1 aEckel, S.1 aTiecke, T., G.1 aJuzeliƫnas, G.1 aCampbell, G., K.1 aJiang, Liang1 aGorshkov, Alexey, V. uhttp://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.94.063422