We propose and demonstrate a scheme for strong radial confinement of a single ⁸⁷Rb atom by a bichromatic far-off resonance optical dipole trap (BFORT). The BFORT is composed of a blue-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian $L{G}_0^1$ beam and a red-detuned Gaussian beam. The atomic oscillation frequency measurement shows that the effective trapping dimension is much sharper than that from a diffraction-limited microscopic objective. Theory shows that the added scattering rate due to imposing blue-detuned light is negligible when the temperature of the single atoms is close to ground state temperature. By carrying out sub-Doppler cooling, the mean energy of single atoms trapped in the BFORT is reduced to 15 ± 1 μK. The corresponding mean quantum number of radial vibration n is about 1.65, which satisfies the Lamb-Dicke regime. We conclude that the BFORT is a suitable Lamb-Dicke trap for further cooling a single neutral atom down to the ground state and for further application in quantum information processing.

© 2012 OSA

1. D. Frese, B. Ueberholz, S. Kuhr, W. Alt, D. Schrader, V. Gomer, and D. Meschede, “Single atoms in an optical dipole trap: Towards a deterministic source of cold atoms,” Phys. Rev. Lett.85, 3777–3780 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. N. Schlosser, G. Reymond, I. Protsenko, and P. Grangier, “Sub-poissonian loading of single atoms in a microscopic dipole trap,” Nature (London)411, 1024–1027 (2001). [CrossRef]
3. D. Schrader, I. Dotsenko, M. Khudaverdyan, Y. Miroshnychenko, A. Rauschenbeutel, and D. Meschede, “Neutral atom quantum register,” Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 150501 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. Y. Miroshnychenko, W. Alt, I. Dotsenko, L. Forster, M. Khudaverdyan, D. Meschede, D. Schrader, and A. Rauschenbeutel, “Quantum engineering: An atom-sorting machine,” Nature (London)442, 151 (2006). [CrossRef]
5. J. Beugnon, C. Tuchendler, H. Marion, A. Gaetan, Y. Miroshnychenko, Y. R. P. Sortais, A. M. Lance, M. P. A. Jones, G. Messin, A. Browaeys, and P. Grangier, “Two-dimensional transport and transfer of a single atomic qubit in optical tweezers,” Nat. Phys.3, 696–699 (2007). [CrossRef]
6. D. Leibfried, R. Blatt, C. Monroe, and D. J. Wineland, “Quantum dynamics of single trapped ions,” Rev. Mod. Phys.75, 281–324 (2003). [CrossRef]
7. D. Jaksch, H.-J. Briegel, J. I. Cirac, C. W. Gardiner, and P. Zoller, “Entanglement of atoms via cold controlled collisions,” Phys. Rev. Lett.82, 1975–1978 (1999). [CrossRef]
8. Y. R. P. Sortais, H. Marion, C. Tuchendler, A. M. Lance, M. Lamare, P. Fournet, C. Armellin, R. Mercier, G. Messin, A. Browaeys, and P. Grangier, “Diffraction-limited optics for single-atom manipulation,” Phys. Rev. A75, 013406 (2007). [CrossRef]
9. C. Tuchendler, A. M. Lance, A. Browaeys, Y. R. P. Sortais, and P. Grangier, “Energy distribution and cooling of a single atom in an optical tweezer,” Phys. Rev. A78, 033425 (2008). [CrossRef]
10. T. A. Savard, K. M. OHara, and J. E. Thomas, “Laser-noise-induced heating in far-off resonance optical traps,” Phys. Rev. A56, R1095–R1098 (1997). [CrossRef]
11. S. J. M. Kuppens, K. L. Corwin, K. W. Miller, T. E. Chupp, and C. E. Wieman, “Loading an optical dipole trap,” Phys. Rev. A62, 013406 (2000). [CrossRef]
12. N. Friedman, A. Kaplan, and N. Davidson, “Dark optical traps for cold atoms,” Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys.48, 99–151 (2002). [CrossRef]
13. X. D. He, P. Xu, J. Wang, and M. S. Zhan, “Rotating single atoms in a ring lattice generated by a spatial light modulator,” Opt. Express17, 21007–21014 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. M. Weber, J. Volz, and K. Saucke, “Analysis of a single-atom dipole trap,” Phys. Rev. A73, 043406 (2006). [CrossRef]
15. P. Xu, X. D. He, J. Wang, and M. S. Zhan, “Traping a single atom in a blue detuned optical bottle beam trap,” Opt. Lett.35, 2164–2166 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Mechanics, 3rd ed. (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998).
17. R. Grimm, M. Weidemuller, and Y. B. Ovchinnikov, “Optical dipole traps for neutral atoms,” Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys.42, 95–170 (2000). [CrossRef]
18. R. A. Cline, J. D. Miller, M. R. Matthews, and D. J. Heinzen, “Spin relaxation of optically trapped atoms by light scattering,” Opt. Lett.19, 207–209 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. C. Cabrillo, J. I. Cirac, P. Garcia-Fernandez, and P. Zoller, “Creation of entangled states of distant atoms by interference,” Phys. Rev. A59, 1025–1033 (1999). [CrossRef]
20. C. Monroe, D. M. Meekhof, B. E. King, S. R. Jefferts, W. M. Itano, D. J. Wineland, and P. Gould, “Resolved-sideband raman cooling of a bound atom to the 3D zero-point energy,” Phys. Rev. Lett.75, 4011–4014 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
21. C. F. Roos, D. Leibfried, A. Mundt, F. Schmidt-Kaler, J. Eschner, and R. Blatt, “Experimental demonstration of ground state laser cooling with electromagnetically induced transparency,” Phys. Rev. Lett.85, 5547–5550 (2000). [CrossRef]
22. G. K. Brennen, C. M. Caves, P. S. Jessen, and I. H. Deutsch, “Quantum logic gates in optical lattices,” Phys. Rev. Lett.82, 1060–1063 (1999). [CrossRef]
23. X. D. He, P. Xu, J. Wang, and M. S. Zhan, “High efficient loading of two atoms into a microscopic optical trap by dynamically reshaping the trap with a spatial light modulator,” Opt. Express18, 13586–13592 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
24. L. Föster, M. Karski, J. M. Choi, A. Steffen, W. Alt, D. Meschede, and A. Widera, “Microwave control of atomic motion in optical lattices,” Phys. Rev. Lett.103, 233001 (2009). [CrossRef]

Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys.

• N. Friedman, A. Kaplan, and N. Davidson, “Dark optical traps for cold atoms,” Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys.48, 99–151 (2002). [CrossRef]
• R. Grimm, M. Weidemuller, and Y. B. Ovchinnikov, “Optical dipole traps for neutral atoms,” Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys.42, 95–170 (2000). [CrossRef]

Nat. Phys.

• J. Beugnon, C. Tuchendler, H. Marion, A. Gaetan, Y. Miroshnychenko, Y. R. P. Sortais, A. M. Lance, M. P. A. Jones, G. Messin, A. Browaeys, and P. Grangier, “Two-dimensional transport and transfer of a single atomic qubit in optical tweezers,” Nat. Phys.3, 696–699 (2007). [CrossRef]

Nature (London)

• N. Schlosser, G. Reymond, I. Protsenko, and P. Grangier, “Sub-poissonian loading of single atoms in a microscopic dipole trap,” Nature (London)411, 1024–1027 (2001). [CrossRef]
• Y. Miroshnychenko, W. Alt, I. Dotsenko, L. Forster, M. Khudaverdyan, D. Meschede, D. Schrader, and A. Rauschenbeutel, “Quantum engineering: An atom-sorting machine,” Nature (London)442, 151 (2006). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• X. D. He, P. Xu, J. Wang, and M. S. Zhan, “Rotating single atoms in a ring lattice generated by a spatial light modulator,” Opt. Express17, 21007–21014 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• X. D. He, P. Xu, J. Wang, and M. S. Zhan, “High efficient loading of two atoms into a microscopic optical trap by dynamically reshaping the trap with a spatial light modulator,” Opt. Express18, 13586–13592 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• P. Xu, X. D. He, J. Wang, and M. S. Zhan, “Traping a single atom in a blue detuned optical bottle beam trap,” Opt. Lett.35, 2164–2166 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. A. Cline, J. D. Miller, M. R. Matthews, and D. J. Heinzen, “Spin relaxation of optically trapped atoms by light scattering,” Opt. Lett.19, 207–209 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• C. Cabrillo, J. I. Cirac, P. Garcia-Fernandez, and P. Zoller, “Creation of entangled states of distant atoms by interference,” Phys. Rev. A59, 1025–1033 (1999). [CrossRef]
• M. Weber, J. Volz, and K. Saucke, “Analysis of a single-atom dipole trap,” Phys. Rev. A73, 043406 (2006). [CrossRef]
• Y. R. P. Sortais, H. Marion, C. Tuchendler, A. M. Lance, M. Lamare, P. Fournet, C. Armellin, R. Mercier, G. Messin, A. Browaeys, and P. Grangier, “Diffraction-limited optics for single-atom manipulation,” Phys. Rev. A75, 013406 (2007). [CrossRef]
• C. Tuchendler, A. M. Lance, A. Browaeys, Y. R. P. Sortais, and P. Grangier, “Energy distribution and cooling of a single atom in an optical tweezer,” Phys. Rev. A78, 033425 (2008). [CrossRef]
• T. A. Savard, K. M. OHara, and J. E. Thomas, “Laser-noise-induced heating in far-off resonance optical traps,” Phys. Rev. A56, R1095–R1098 (1997). [CrossRef]
• S. J. M. Kuppens, K. L. Corwin, K. W. Miller, T. E. Chupp, and C. E. Wieman, “Loading an optical dipole trap,” Phys. Rev. A62, 013406 (2000). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• D. Frese, B. Ueberholz, S. Kuhr, W. Alt, D. Schrader, V. Gomer, and D. Meschede, “Single atoms in an optical dipole trap: Towards a deterministic source of cold atoms,” Phys. Rev. Lett.85, 3777–3780 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. Schrader, I. Dotsenko, M. Khudaverdyan, Y. Miroshnychenko, A. Rauschenbeutel, and D. Meschede, “Neutral atom quantum register,” Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 150501 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. Monroe, D. M. Meekhof, B. E. King, S. R. Jefferts, W. M. Itano, D. J. Wineland, and P. Gould, “Resolved-sideband raman cooling of a bound atom to the 3D zero-point energy,” Phys. Rev. Lett.75, 4011–4014 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. F. Roos, D. Leibfried, A. Mundt, F. Schmidt-Kaler, J. Eschner, and R. Blatt, “Experimental demonstration of ground state laser cooling with electromagnetically induced transparency,” Phys. Rev. Lett.85, 5547–5550 (2000). [CrossRef]
• G. K. Brennen, C. M. Caves, P. S. Jessen, and I. H. Deutsch, “Quantum logic gates in optical lattices,” Phys. Rev. Lett.82, 1060–1063 (1999). [CrossRef]
• L. Föster, M. Karski, J. M. Choi, A. Steffen, W. Alt, D. Meschede, and A. Widera, “Microwave control of atomic motion in optical lattices,” Phys. Rev. Lett.103, 233001 (2009). [CrossRef]
• D. Jaksch, H.-J. Briegel, J. I. Cirac, C. W. Gardiner, and P. Zoller, “Entanglement of atoms via cold controlled collisions,” Phys. Rev. Lett.82, 1975–1978 (1999). [CrossRef]

Rev. Mod. Phys.

• D. Leibfried, R. Blatt, C. Monroe, and D. J. Wineland, “Quantum dynamics of single trapped ions,” Rev. Mod. Phys.75, 281–324 (2003). [CrossRef]

Other

• L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Mechanics, 3rd ed. (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998).

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