Perfectly asymmetric Raman-Nath diffraction in disordered atomic gratings

Area of Science:

• Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics
• Quantum Optics
• Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

• Perfectly asymmetric diffraction (PAD) is a phenomenon observed in specific optical regimes.
• Disorder in physical systems can significantly alter their properties, including diffraction patterns.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for developing novel optical and quantum devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distinct impacts of geometrical and structural disorders on PAD within the Raman-Nath regime.
• To explore the conditions under which PAD is preserved or destroyed by these disorders.
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the differing effects of disorder types.

Main Methods:

• Introducing controlled geometrical and structural disorders via random fluctuations in 1D driven atomic lattices.
• Analyzing modifications to Raman-Nath diffraction patterns.
• Investigating the role of spatial phase shifts and disorder correlation.

Main Results:

• PAD exhibits different responses to geometrical and structural disorders.
• PAD is observed within a specific range of geometrical disorder strength, beyond which it is destroyed.
• PAD demonstrates considerable robustness against structural disorder.
• Geometrical disorder's impact is more pronounced with correlated disorder compared to uncorrelated disorder.

Conclusions:

• The distinct behaviors of PAD under different disorders stem from disorder-induced variations in spatial phase shifts.
• The findings provide a deeper understanding of light and matter wave diffraction in disordered potentials.
• This research offers potential applications in controlling and manipulating wave phenomena in complex systems.