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Letter

Nature Physics 5, 480–484 (1 July 2009) | doi:10.1038/nphys1282

Photon burst detection of single atoms in an optical cavity

M. L. Terraciano , R. Olson Knell , D. G. Norris , J. Jing , A. Fern|[aacute]|ndez & L. A. Orozco

Many protocols in atomic physics and quantum information hinge on the ability to detect the presence of neutral atoms. Up to now, two avenues have been favoured: the direct detection of spontaneously emitted photons using high-quality optics, or the observation of changes in light transmission through cavity mirrors due to strong atom–photon coupling.