Abstract

Position measurements of neutral atoms with optical techniques and with a resolution better than the wavelength of light are of considerable interest. For atoms, new position measurement schemes are proposed. For example, an atom can be localized by measuring the phase shift of an optical field in a standing-wave cavity crossed by the atom [1,2,3]. Other methods employing Raman transitions between atomic states shifted by a light field were demonstrated experimentally [4]. We have recently suggested a scheme [5] where the position information is encoded in the internal state of the atom while it is passing through a standing-wave laser field.

© 1996 IEEE