Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Single atom in free space as a quantum aperture

2000; American Physical Society; Volume: 61; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physreva.61.051802

1538-4446

S. J. van Enk, H. J. Kimble,

Quantum Mechanics and Applications

We calculate exact three-dimensional solutions of Maxwell equations corresponding to strongly focused light beams, and study their interaction with a single atom in free space. We show how the naive picture of the atom as an absorber with a size given by its radiative cross section $\ensuremath{\sigma}=3{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2}/2\ensuremath{\pi}$ must be modified. The implications of these results for quantum-information-processing capabilities of trapped atoms are discussed.