关键词: 自旋-轨道耦合/
双反射/
振荡消逝波
English Abstract
Double reflection of spin-orbit-coupled cold atoms
Huang Zhen1,Zeng Wen1,
Gu Yi1,
Liu Li1,
Zhou Lu1,
Zhang Wei-Ping1 2
1.School of Physics and Material Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China;
2.Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Fund Project:Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11374003).Received Date:14 April 2016
Accepted Date:02 June 2016
Published Online:05 August 2016
Abstract:Artificial spin-orbit coupling in neutral cold atom have been experimentally implemented in alkali-metal atoms. Nowadays people begin to explore its possible applications. One of the most interesting applications is the atomic mirror, which is a key element in atom optics. And spin-orbit coupling provides the atomic beam with the possibility that the atomic spin can flip during its propagation, thus can be used to prepare the quantum-state-selective atomic mirror. In 2008, Juzeliūnas, et al. [Juzeliūnas G, et al. 2008 Phys. Rev. Lett. 100 200405] studied a spin-orbit-coupled matter wave packet of cold atom gas impinging on an infinite step potential created by the optical light field. Results showed that there is not only ordinary specular reflection, but also non-specular one. The reflected atoms split into two beams and double reflection takes place. Based on the previous study, here we consider a matter wave packet of spin-orbit-coupled cold atom gas impinging on a finite step potential created by the optical light field. Due to the effect of the spin-orbit coupling, in addition to the propagating state, the eigenstates of cold atoms include evanescent state and oscillating evanescent state. Under suitable conditions double reflection will take place. If there are just evanescent waves in the step potential, total internal reflection will take place. In other words, when there is propagating wave in the step potential, partial reflection will take place. By taking into account both the total internal reflection and partial reflection, we study not only the polarization rate but also the reflectivity each as a function of incident energy, incident angle and spin-orbit coupling strength. The properties different from those of previous studies are found. In the case of total internal reflection, we find that the polarization rate of the reflected atoms is sensitive to incident angle instead of the spin-orbit coupling strength and incident energy. While in the case of partial reflection, all these factors strongly affect the polarization rate and reflectivity. We carefully study these properties and find that, on one hand, high efficiency atomic mirror can be acquired in the case of total internal reflection, and on the other hand, we can acquire the different polarization rates by adjusting the incident angle, the spin-orbit coupling strength and incident energy in the case of partial reflection.
Keywords: spin-orbit coupling/
double reflection/
oscillating evanescent wave
