A single atom vibration sensor

Abstract

Previously in vibration sensors, optical glass plates, optical fibres, carbon nanotubes, semiconductor materials, piezoelectric materials and molecules are proved to be effective transducers for sensing vibrations. In this work, for the first time, we will propose a model of vibration sensor using single atom transport in an open optical lattice. In this apparatus, information of mechanical vibration could be transferred into shaking of optical lattice through one of a cavity mirror. Shaking lattice consequently induces Mott insulator due to quantum interference. It is found that information of vibration is encoded in the atomic current and it could be extracted by Fourier transformations. The present atomic vibration sensor has wide detection range of frequency with high precision. Our present model of sensor based on atomic system opens a new area of studying vibration sensors.

Figures (5)

• Figure 1: (a) Schematic structure of the single atom vibration sensor. It is composed of an single atom vibration transistor and a Fourier transformation apparatus. (2) The optomechanical coupler, in which mechanical wave of the external environment is allowed to drive the optical potential through the cavity mirror. (c) The single atom vibration transistor is an open system of cold atoms in which a double-well optical potential is coupled to two atomic reservoirs.
• Figure 2: (Color on line) (a) Average current as a function of shaking amplitude $K$. (b) Average current as a function of shaking frequency $\omega$. (c) Changes of diagonal density matrix elements corresponding to the average current in (a).(d) Changes of diagonal density matrix elements corresponding to the average current in (b). (e)-(h) Current behavior versus real time under different values of shaking amplitude chosen from (a). (i)-(l) The current spectrums corresponding to the current fluctuations in (e)-(h), respectively.
• Figure 3: (Color on line) (a)-(e) Current as function of real time at different shaking frequency $\Omega$. (f)-(j) Current spectrums corresponding to the current fluctuations in (a)-(e), respectively.
• Figure 4: (Color on line) Frequency spectrum of current with respect to shaking frequency $\Omega$ under the given shaking amplitude $K=45J$.
• Figure 5: Average current as a function of shaking frequency $\Omega$ and mechanical wave direction $\theta$ with respect to the given shaking amplitude $K=12.5J$.