Atomic waveguides using blue-detuned HE₁₁ guided mode in hollow optical fiber

Based on the vector model of Maxwell's equations, we exactly calculated the electromagnetic field distributions of HE₁₁ mode in a hollow optical fiber, and mainly discussed the characteristics of their components. We found that the intensity distribution of HE₁₁ mode was a doughnut-like pattern in the cross section, and the phases of the two electric-field radial components E_r and E_φ were uniform, but the phases of the two magnetic-field radial components H_r and H_φ were reversed. We also exactly calculated the absolute intensity and the corresponding optical potential distributions in a typical hollow optical fiber for ⁸⁵Rb atom guiding, and found that, by using a incidence light (1 W) and detuning (1 GHz) blue-detuned HE₁₁ guided mode with a 0.7 μm-radius hollow optical fiber, the maximum optical potential in the hollow region is 14.9 mK, which is far greater than the temperature (120 μK) of ⁸⁵Rb atoms in a standard magneto-optical trap (MOT). Thus the HE₁₁ mode is absolutely adequate to guide ⁸⁵Rb atoms in this typical hollow optical fiber. Atomic guiding in a hollow optical fiber can be widely used in the field of atomic interference.