Abstract

We report experimental realization of lensless imaging on cold rubidium atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap. This imaging scheme relies on the off-resonant light refraction from the cold atoms and is employed in a phase-tunable Mach–Zehnder interferometer, accompanied with phase-shifting interferometry. With this setup, it allows obtaining the probe light phase distribution in the far field after passing the atoms, from which the near-field phase image of the atomic cloud is retrieved using the Fresnel–Kirchhoff integral. We show the phase images can be effectively reconstructed, and the measured two-dimensional phase distributions are in good agreement with the theory.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

Lens-free phase shifting imaging for cold atoms

Chih-Yuan Huang, Hung-Shiue Chen, Chih-Yuan Liu, Chin-Han Chen, and D. J. Han
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 31(1) 87-95 (2014)

Phase shifting interferometry of cold atoms

Tzu-Ping Ku, Chi-Yuan Huang, Bor-Wen Shiau, and Dian-Jiun Han
Opt. Express 19(4) 3730-3741 (2011)

Nondestructive spatial heterodyne imaging of cold atoms

S. Kadlecek, J. Sebby, R. Newell, and T. G. Walker
Opt. Lett. 26(3) 137-139 (2001)

Two-photon ionization of cold rubidium atoms

Marco Anderlini, Emmanuel Courtade, Donatella Ciampini, Jörg H. Müller, Oliver Morsch, and Ennio Arimondo
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 21(3) 480-485 (2004)

Off-resonant defocus-contrast imaging of cold atoms

Lincoln D. Turner, Karl P. Weber, David Paganin, and Robert E. Scholten
Opt. Lett. 29(3) 232-234 (2004)