TY - JOUR
T1 - General limit to nondestructive optical detection of atoms
AU - Hope, J. J.
AU - Close, J. D.
PY - 2005/4
Y1 - 2005/4
N2 - We demonstrate that there is a fundamental limit to the sensitivity of phase-based detection of atoms with light for a given maximum level of allowable spontaneous emission. This is a generalization of previous results for two- and three-level atoms. The limit is due to an upper bound on the phase shift that can be imparted on a laser beam for a given excited-state population. Specifically, we show that no single-pass optical technique using classical light, based on any number of lasers or coherences between any number of levels, can exceed the limit imposed by the two-level atom. This puts significant restrictions on potential nondestructive optical measurement schemes.
AB - We demonstrate that there is a fundamental limit to the sensitivity of phase-based detection of atoms with light for a given maximum level of allowable spontaneous emission. This is a generalization of previous results for two- and three-level atoms. The limit is due to an upper bound on the phase shift that can be imparted on a laser beam for a given excited-state population. Specifically, we show that no single-pass optical technique using classical light, based on any number of lasers or coherences between any number of levels, can exceed the limit imposed by the two-level atom. This puts significant restrictions on potential nondestructive optical measurement schemes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=26944461248&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.71.043822
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.71.043822
M3 - Article
SN - 1050-2947
VL - 71
JO - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
JF - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
IS - 4
M1 - 043822
ER -