Improvement by laser quenching of an 'atom diode': a one-way barrier for ultra-cold atoms

Different laser devices working as 'atom diodes' or 'one-way barriers' for ultra-cold atoms have been proposed recently. They transmit ground state level atoms coming from one side, say from the left, but reflect them when they come from the other side.We combine a previous model, consisting of the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) from the ground to an excited state and a state-selective mirror potential, with a localized quenching laser which produces spontaneous decay back to the ground state. This avoids backwards motion, provides more control of the decay process and therefore a more compact and useful device. (letter to the editor)