261 research outputs found
Statistical Mechanics of an Optical Phase Space Compressor
We describe the statistical mechanics of a new method to produce very cold
atoms or molecules. The method results from trapping a gas in a potential well,
and sweeping through the well a semi-permeable barrier, one that allows
particles to leave but not to return. If the sweep is sufficiently slow, all
the particles trapped in the well compress into an arbitrarily cold gas. We
derive analytical expressions for the velocity distribution of particles in the
cold gas, and compare these results with numerical simulations.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Real-time control of the periodicity of a standing wave: an optical accordion
We report an experimental method to create optical lattices with real-time
control of their periodicity. We demonstrate a continuous change of the lattice
periodicity from 0.96 m to 11.2 m in one second, while the center
fringe only moves less than 2.7 m during the whole process. This provides
a powerful tool for controlling ultracold atoms in optical lattices, where
small spacing is essential for quantum tunneling, and large spacing enables
single-site manipulation and spatially resolved detection.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Decoherence in Ion Trap Quantum Computers
The {\it intrinsic} decoherence from vibrational coupling of the ions in the
Cirac-Zoller quantum computer [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 74}, 4091 (1995)] is
considered. Starting from a state in which the vibrational modes are at a
temperature , and each ion is in a superposition of an excited and a ground
state, an adiabatic approximation is used to find the inclusive probability
for the ions to evolve as they would without the vibrations, and for the
vibrational modes to evolve into any final state. An analytic form is found for
at , and the decoherence time is found for all . The decoherence
is found to be quite small, even for 1000 ions.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, uses revte
A Quantum Tweezer for Atoms
We propose a quantum tweezer for extracting a desired number of neutral atoms
from a reservoir. A trapped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is used as the
reservoir, taking advantage of its coherent nature, which can guarantee a
constant outcome. The tweezer is an attractive quantum dot, which may be
generated by red-detuned laser light. By moving with certain speeds, the dot
can extract a desired number of atoms from the BEC through Landau-Zener
tunneling. The feasibility of our quantum tweezer is demonstrated through
realistic and extensive model calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures Revised versio
Quantum anomalies and linear response theory
The analysis of diffusive energy spreading in quantized chaotic driven
systems, leads to a universal paradigm for the emergence of a quantum anomaly.
In the classical approximation a driven chaotic system exhibits stochastic-like
diffusion in energy space with a coefficient that is proportional to the
intensity of the driving. In the corresponding quantized problem
the coherent transitions are characterized by a generalized Wigner time
, and a self-generated (intrinsic) dephasing process leads to
non-linear dependence of on .Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, textual improvements (as in published version
Spatial nonlocal pair correlations in a repulsive 1D Bose gas
We analytically calculate the spatial nonlocal pair correlation function for
an interacting uniform 1D Bose gas at finite temperature and propose an
experimental method to measure nonlocal correlations. Our results span six
different physical realms, including the weakly and strongly interacting
regimes. We show explicitly that the characteristic correlation lengths are
given by one of four length scales: the thermal de Broglie wavelength, the mean
interparticle separation, the healing length, or the phase coherence length. In
all regimes, we identify the profound role of interactions and find that under
certain conditions the pair correlation may develop a global maximum at a
finite interparticle separation due to the competition between repulsive
interactions and thermal effects.Comment: Final published version, modified titl
Towards magnetic slowing of atoms and molecules
We outline a method to slow paramagnetic atoms or molecules using pulsed
magnetic fields. We also discuss the possibility of producing trapped particles
by adiabatic deceleration of a magnetic trap. We present numerical simulation
results for the slowing and trapping of molecular oxygen
Laser cooling of trapped ytterbium ions with an ultraviolet diode laser
We demonstrate an ultraviolet diode laser system for cooling of trapped
ytterbium ions. The laser power and linewidth are comparable to previous
systems based on resonant frequency doubling, but the system is simpler, more
robust, and less expensive. We use the laser system to cool small numbers of
ytterbium ions confined in a linear Paul trap. From the observed spectra, we
deduce final temperatures < 270 mK.Comment: submitted to Opt. Let
Transverse confinement in stochastic cooling of trapped atoms
Stochastic cooling of trapped atoms is considered for a laser-beam
configuration with beam waists equal or smaller than the extent of the atomic
cloud. It is shown, that various effects appear due to this transverse
confinement, among them heating of transverse kinetic energy. Analytical
results of the cooling in dependence on size and location of the laser beam are
presented for the case of a non-degenerate vapour.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Journal of Optics
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