We realize a deterministic single-photon source from one and the same calcium ion interacting with a high-finesse optical cavity. Photons are created in the cavity with efficiency (88 ± 17)%, a tenfold improvement over previous cavity-ion sources. Results of the second-order correlation function are presented, demonstrating a high suppression of two-photon events limited only by background counts. The cavity photon pulse shape is obtained, with good agreement between experiment and simulation. Moreover, theoretical analysis of the temporal evolution of the atomic populations provides relevant information about the dynamics of the process and opens the way to future investigations of a coherent atom-photon interface.

No abstract

We report on a laser system based on thin-disk technology and chirped pulse amplification, providing output pulse energies of 200 mJ at a 5 kHz repetition rate. The amplifier contains a ring-type cavity and two thin Yb:YAG disks, each pumped by diode laser systems providing up to 3.5 kW power at a 969 nm wavelength. The average output power of more than 1 kW is delivered in an excellent output beam characterized by M²=1.1. The output pulses are compressed to 1.1 ps at full power with a pair of dielectric gratings.

We describe an ion-based cavity-QED system in which the internal dynamics of an atom is coupled to the modes of an optical cavity by vacuum-stimulated Raman transitions. We observe Raman spectra for different excitation polarizations and find quantitative agreement with theoretical simulations. Residual motion of the ion introduces motional sidebands in the Raman spectrum and leads to ion delocalization. The system offers prospects for cavity-assisted resolved-sideband ground-state cooling and coherent manipulation of ions and photons.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure