Background-free imaging of cold atoms in optical traps

Abstract

Optical traps, including those used in atomic physics, cold chemistry, and quantum science, are widely used in the research on cold atoms and molecules. Owing to their microscopic structure and excellent operational capability, optical traps have been proposed for cold atom experiments involving complex physical systems, which generally induce violent background scattering. In this study, using a background-free imaging scheme in cavity quantum electrodynamics systems, a cold atomic ensemble was accurately prepared below a fiber cavity and loaded into an optical trap for transfer into the cavity. By satisfying the demanding requirements for the background-free imaging scheme in optical traps, cold atoms in an optical trap were detected with a high signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining atomic loading. The cold atoms were then transferred into the fiber cavity using an optical trap, and the vacuum Rabi splitting was measured, facilitating relevant research on cavity quantum electrodynamics. This method can be extended to related experiments involving cold atoms and molecules in complex physical systems using optical traps.