Light interference from single atoms and their mirror images

A single atom emitting single photons is a fundamental source of light. But the characteristics of this light depend strongly on the environment of the atom(1,2). For example, if an atom is placed between two mirrors, both the total rate and the spectral composition of the spontaneous emission can be modified. Such effects have been observed using various systems: molecules deposited on mirrors(3), dye molecules in an optical cavity(4), an atom beam traversing a two-mirror optical resonator(5-8), single atoms traversing a microwave cavity(9-11) and a single trapped electron(12). A related and equally fundamental phenomenon is the optical interaction between two atoms of the same kind when their separation is comparable to their emission wavelength. In this situation, light emitted by one atom may be reabsorbed by the other, leading to cooperative processes in the emission(13,14). Here we observe these phenomena with high visibility by using one or two single atom(s), a collimating lens and a mirror, and by recording the individual photons scattered by the atom(s). Our experiments highlight the intimate connection between one-atom and two-atom effects, and allow their continuous observation using the same apparatus.