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Transfer of optical orbital angular momentum to a bound electron

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  • Christian T. Schmiegelow

    (QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz
    Present address: Departamento de Física, FCEyN, UBA and IFIBA, Conicet, Pabellón 1, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina)

  • Jonas Schulz

    (QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz)

  • Henning Kaufmann

    (QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz)

  • Thomas Ruster

    (QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz)

  • Ulrich G. Poschinger

    (QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz)

  • Ferdinand Schmidt-Kaler

    (QUANTUM, Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz)

Abstract

Photons can carry angular momentum, not only due to their spin, but also due to their spatial structure. This extra twist has been used, for example, to drive circular motion of microscopic particles in optical tweezers as well as to create vortices in quantum gases. Here we excite an atomic transition with a vortex laser beam and demonstrate the transfer of optical orbital angular momentum to the valence electron of a single trapped ion. We observe strongly modified selection rules showing that an atom can absorb two quanta of angular momentum from a single photon: one from the spin and another from the spatial structure of the beam. Furthermore, we show that parasitic ac-Stark shifts from off-resonant transitions are suppressed in the dark centre of vortex beams. These results show how light’s spatial structure can determine the characteristics of light–matter interaction and pave the way for its application and observation in other systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian T. Schmiegelow & Jonas Schulz & Henning Kaufmann & Thomas Ruster & Ulrich G. Poschinger & Ferdinand Schmidt-Kaler, 2016. "Transfer of optical orbital angular momentum to a bound electron," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12998
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12998
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