Multi-Harmonic Modulation in a Fiber-Optic Gyroscope.

Optimizing the bias modulation of a fiber-optic gyroscope is crucial to improving its precision. In this study, we propose and demonstrate the use of multiple harmonics of sinusoidal modulation as an intermediate alternative to the widely used modulation methods: sinusoidal and square-wave modulation. We show that this alternative integrates the advantages of each modulation method by providing a smooth modulation that produces a clean, spike-free output and a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio. By using three harmonics of modulation in combination with a high frequency to reduce thermal phase noise, we obtained an angular random walk of 5.2(2)µdeg/h and a bias instability of ∼10µdeg/h. This is the highest performance ever reported for fiber-optic gyroscopes.

Bose-Einstein Condensation of Europium.

We report the realization of a Bose-Einstein condensate of europium atoms, which is a strongly dipolar species with unique properties, a highly symmetric [Xe]4f^{7}6s^{2} ^{8}S_{7/2} electronic ground state and a hyperfine structure. By means of evaporative cooling in a crossed optical dipole trap, we produce a condensate of ^{151}Eu containing up to 5×10^{4} atoms. We estimate the scattering length of ^{151}Eu to be a_{s}=110(4) a_{B} after comparing the velocities of expansion of condensates to different orientations of the atomic magnetic moments, where a_{B} is the Bohr radius. We observe deformation of the condensate in the vicinity of the Feshbach resonance at 1.32 G with a width of 10 mG.

Injection locking of a high power ultraviolet laser diode for laser cooling of ytterbium atoms.

We developed a high-power laser system at a wavelength of 399 nm for laser cooling of ytterbium atoms with ultraviolet laser diodes. The system is composed of an external cavity laser diode providing frequency stabilized output at a power of 40 mW and another laser diode for amplifying the laser power up to 220 mW by injection locking. The systematic method for optimization of our injection locking can also be applied to high power light sources at any other wavelengths. Our system does not depend on complex nonlinear frequency-doubling and can be made compact, which will be useful for providing light sources for laser cooling experiments including transportable optical lattice clocks.

Projective measurement of a single nuclear spin qubit by using two-mode cavity QED.

We report the implementation of projective measurement on a single 1/2 nuclear spin of the (171)Yb atom by measuring the polarization of cavity-enhanced fluorescence. To obtain cavity-enhanced fluorescence having a nuclear-spin-dependent polarization, we construct a two-mode cavity QED system, in which two cyclic transitions are independently coupled to each of the orthogonally polarized cavity modes, by manipulating the energy level of (171)Yb. This system can associate the nuclear spin degrees of freedom with the polarization of photons, which will facilitate the development of hybrid quantum systems.

Storage and retrieval of a squeezed vacuum.

Storage and retrieval of a squeezed vacuum was successfully demonstrated using electromagnetically induced transparency. The squeezed vacuum pulse having a temporal width of 930 ns was incident on the laser cooled 87Rb atoms with an intense control light in a coherent state. When the squeezed vacuum pulse was slowed and spatially compressed in the cold atoms, the control light was switched off. After 3 mus of storage, the control light was switched on again, and the squeezed vacuum was retrieved, as was confirmed using the time-domain homodyne method.

Ultraslow propagation of squeezed vacuum pulses with electromagnetically induced transparency.

We have succeeded in observing ultraslow propagation of squeezed vacuum pulses with electromagnetically induced transparency. Squeezed vacuum pulses (probe lights) were incident on a laser-cooled 87Rb gas together with an intense coherent light (control light). A homodyne method sensitive to the vacuum state was employed for detecting the probe pulse passing through the gas. A delay of 3.1 micros was observed for the probe pulse having a temporal width of 10 micros.

Observation of a topological and parity-dependent phase of m = 0 spin states.

A Ramsey interrogation scheme was used to measure the phase shift of laser-cooled 87Rb clock-transition pseudospins arising as a result of a reversal of a bias-magnetic field, i.e., B--> -B, during the interrogation. While no phase shift occurred when the reversal was sudden, the Ramsey fringes were shifted by a factor of pi when the reversal was adiabatic. We thus verified the prediction that the spin states |F,m=0 acquire a purely topological and parity-dependent phase factor of (-1)F as a result of B--> -B.

Generation of a squeezed vacuum resonant on a rubidium D1 line with periodically poled KTiOPO4.

We report the generation of a continuous-wave squeezed vacuum resonant on the Rb D1 line (795 nm) using periodically poled KTiOPO4 (PPKTP) crystals. With a frequency doubler and an optical parametric oscillator based on PPKTP crystals, we observed a squeezing level of -2.75+/-0.14 dB and an antisqueezing level of +7.00+/-0.13 dB. This system could be utilized for demonstrating storage and retrieval of the squeezed vacuum, which is important for the ultraprecise measurement of atomic spins as well as quantum information processing.

Electromagnetically induced transparency with squeezed vacuum.

The squeezed vacuum resonant on the (87)Rb D1 line (probe light) was injected into an optically dense rubidium gas cell with a coherent light (control light). The output probe light maintained its quadrature squeezing within the transparency window caused by the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The results reported here are the first realization of EIT in the full quantum regime.

Control of light pulse propagation with only a few cold atoms in a high-finesse microcavity.

Propagation of a light pulse through a high-Q optical microcavity containing a few cold atoms (N<10) in its cavity mode is investigated experimentally. With less than ten cold rubidium atoms launched into an optical microcavity, up to 170 ns propagation lead time ("superluminal"), and 440 ns propagation delay time (subluminal) are observed. Comparison of the experimental data with numerical simulations as well as future experiments are discussed.