- Letter
Resonant light scattering by a slab of ultracold atoms
Phys. Rev. A 113, L021301 – Published 2 February, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1wb7-1z1b
Abstract
A gas of ultracold atoms probed with laser light is a nearly ideal experimental realization of a medium of resonant pointlike scatterers, a key problem from condensed matter to biology or photonics. Yet, several recent experiments have reported large discrepancies with theory. In this Letter, we measure the complex transmission through a slab of ultracold two-level atoms with an interferometric technique. Our measurements are compatible with first-principles simulations of mutually coupled, laser-driven dipoles, and provide an explanation for the discrepancies in earlier measurements.
