https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2010-10387-4
Quantum jumps induced by the center-of-mass motion of a trapped atom
1
Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
2
Abteilung für Theoretische Quantenmechanik, Universität des Saarlandes, Campus E 26, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
3
Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de
Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
4
Fachbereich Physik and research center OPTIMAS, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Corresponding author: a marc.bienert@physik.uni-saarland.de
Received:
7
July
2010
Revised:
30
August
2010
Published online:
3
December
2010
We theoretically study the occurrence of quantum jumps in the resonance fluorescence of a trapped atom. Here, the atom is laser cooled in a configuration of level such that the occurrence of a quantum jump is associated to a change of the vibrational center-of-mass motion by one phonon. The statistics of the occurrence of the dark fluorescence period is studied as a function of the physical parameters and the corresponding features in the spectrum of resonance fluorescence are identified. We discuss the information which can be extracted on the atomic motion from the observation of a quantum jump in the considered setup.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2010
