66 research outputs found
Optical tuning of the scattering length of cold alkaline earth atoms
It is possible to tune the scattering length for the collision of ultra-cold
1S0 ground state alkaline-earth atoms using an optical Feshbach resonance. This
is achieved with a laser far detuned from an excited molecular level near the
frequency of the atomic intercombination 1S0--3P1 transition. Simple resonant
scattering theory, illustrated by the example of 40Ca, allows an estimate of
the magnitude of the effect. Unlike alkali metal species, large changes of the
scattering length are possible while atom loss remains small, because of the
very narrow line width of the molecular photoassociation transition. This
raises prospects for control of atomic interactions for a system without
magnetically tunable Feshbach resonance levels
Photoassociation spectroscopy of cold alkaline earth atoms near the intercombination line
The properties of photoassociation (PA) spectra near the intercombination
line (the weak transition between and states) of group
II atoms are theoretically investigated. As an example we have carried out a
calculation for Calcium atoms colliding at ultra low temperatures of 1 mK, 1
K, and 1 nK. Unlike in most current photoassociation spectroscopy the
Doppler effect can significantly affect the shape of the investigated lines.
Spectra are obtained using Ca--Ca and Ca--Ca short-range {\it ab initio}
potentials and long-range van der Waals and resonance dipole potentials. The
similar van der Waals coefficients of ground and
excited states cause the PA to differ greatly from
those of strong, allowed transitions with resonant dipole interactions. The
density of spectral lines is lower, the Condon points are at relatively short
range, and the reflection approximation for the Franck-Condon factors is not
applicable, and the spontaneous decay to bound ground-state molecules is
efficient. Finally, the possibility of efficient production of cold molecules
is discussed
Strontium optical lattice clocks for practical realization of the metre and secondary representation of the second
We present a system of two independent strontium optical lattice standards
probed with a single shared ultra-narrow laser. The absolute frequency of the
clocks can be verified by the use of Er:fiber optical frequency comb with the
GPS-disciplined Rb frequency standard. We report hertz-level spectroscopy of
the clock line and measurements of frequency stability of the two strontium
optical lattice clocks.Comment: This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article
accepted for publication in Meas. Sci. Technol. The publisher is not
responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or
any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at
doi:10.1088/0957-0233/26/7/07520
Fibre-optic delivery of time and frequency to VLBI station
The quality of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio observations
predominantly relies on precise and ultra-stable time and frequency (T&F)
standards, usually hydrogen masers (HM), maintained locally at each VLBI
station. Here, we present an operational solution in which the VLBI
observations are routinely carried out without use of a local HM, but using
remote synchronization via a stabilized, long-distance fibre-optic link. The
T&F reference signals, traceable to international atomic timescale (TAI), are
delivered to the VLBI station from a dedicated timekeeping laboratory.
Moreover, we describe a proof-of-concept experiment where the VLBI station is
synchronized to a remote strontium optical lattice clock during the
observation.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, matches the version published in A&A, section
Astronomical instrumentatio
Line shape measurements of rubidium 5S-7S two-photon transition
We report the use of a digital lock to measure the line profile and center frequency of rubidium 5S-7S two-photon transitions with a cw laser referenced to an optical frequency comb. The narrow, two-photon transition, 5S-7S (760 nm), insensitive to first-order in a magnetic field, is a promising candidate for frequency reference
Probing Non-Newtonian gravity by photoassociation spectroscopy
State of the art photoassociative measurements of bound state energies in the ground state Yb[2] molecule are used to establish limits on non-Newtonian gravity at Yukawa ranges of nanometers
Two-orbital SU(N) magnetism with ultracold alkaline-earth atoms
Fermionic alkaline-earth atoms have unique properties that make them
attractive candidates for the realization of novel atomic clocks and degenerate
quantum gases. At the same time, they are attracting considerable theoretical
attention in the context of quantum information processing. Here we demonstrate
that when such atoms are loaded in optical lattices, they can be used as
quantum simulators of unique many-body phenomena. In particular, we show that
the decoupling of the nuclear spin from the electronic angular momentum can be
used to implement many-body systems with an unprecedented degree of symmetry,
characterized by the SU(N) group with N as large as 10. Moreover, the interplay
of the nuclear spin with the electronic degree of freedom provided by a stable
optically excited state allows for the study of spin-orbital physics. Such
systems may provide valuable insights into strongly correlated physics of
transition metal oxides, heavy fermion materials, and spin liquid phases.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. V2: extended experimental accessibility and
Kondo sections in the main text (including new Fig. 5b) and in the Methods;
reorganized other parts; added reference
- âŠ