Feasibility of detecting single atoms using photonic bandgap cavities

Abstract

We propose an atom–cavity chip that combines laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms with magnetic microtraps and waveguides to deliver a cold atom to the mode of a fibre taper coupled photonic bandgap (PBG) cavity. The feasibility of this device for detecting single atoms is analysed using both a semiclassical treatment and an unconditional master equation approach. Single-atom detection seems achievable in an initial experiment involving the non-deterministic delivery of weakly trapped atoms into the mode of the PBG cavity.