Localization of light in ensembles of cold atoms

• Applicant: Dr. Patrizia Weiß
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 393135817

This research project is devoted to the study of the quantum trapping of light in a sample of laser-cooled atoms.On the one hand, the long-range light-mediated dipole-dipole interaction leads to the spontaneous synchronization and anti-synchronization of the atomic dipoles, which produce superradiance and subradiance, respectively the enhancement and inhibition of spontaneous emission. On the other hand, interference of light waves during multiple scattering in a disordered system is expected to lead, above a certain threshold on the amount of disorder, to a blocking of diffusion, the so-called Anderson localization, which has never been observed for light waves.In this project, we will combine these two approaches. Recent theoretical works indeed predict a disorder-induced localization of subradiant states above a critical amount of on-site disorder. We will produce the on-site disorder by adding a random optical pattern (Speckle pattern) shifting the atomic levels and we will probe how subradiance is modified by this disorder.Observing signatures of this disorder-induced phase transition would be a milestone for mesoscopic and atomic physics

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: France
• Host: Dr. Robin Kaiser