Chirality-enabled optical dipole potential energy for two-level atoms

We consider the optical dipole potential energy, which arises from the interaction of a two-level atom with a circularly polarized Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam of small waist. The beam is characterized by the existence of a longitudinal electric field component which is responsible for the appearance of a chiral term in the optical dipole potential energy. This term reverses sign if either the winding number or the wave polarization of the beam reverses sign. We propose a scheme of a bi-chromatic vortex interaction with the two-level atom in which the resulting optical dipole potential is fully chiral.

Automated summary

In this study, the optical dipole potential energy of a two-level atom interacting with a circularly polarized Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam of small waist is examined. The presence of a longitudinal electric field component in the beam leads to the appearance of a chiral term in the optical dipole potential energy. A bi-chromatic vortex interaction scheme is proposed to achieve a fully chiral optical dipole potential.