Microscopic Lensing by a Dense, Cold Atomic Sample

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a dense, cold atomic sample of rubidium can act as a microscopic lens, showing lensing effects similar to macroscopic lenses, with detailed analysis through experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of microscopic lensing by cold atomic samples and models the effect as a thin lens with a spherical focal length.

Findings

Micron-scale lensing observed in cold rubidium atoms

Lensing effect depends on detuning and field strength

Numerical simulations agree with experimental results

Abstract

We demonstrate that a cold, dense sample of 87Rb atoms can exhibit a micron-scale lensing effect, much like that associated with a macroscopically-sized lens. The experiment is carried out in the fashion of traditional z-scan measurements but in much weaker fields and where close attention is paid to the detuning dependence of the transmitted light. The results are interpreted using numerical simulations and by modeling the sample as a thin lens with a spherical focal length.