56 research outputs found
A lattice of double wells for manipulating pairs of cold atoms
We describe the design and implementation of a 2D optical lattice of double
wells suitable for isolating and manipulating an array of individual pairs of
atoms in an optical lattice. Atoms in the square lattice can be placed in a
double well with any of their four nearest neighbors. The properties of the
double well (the barrier height and relative energy offset of the paired sites)
can be dynamically controlled. The topology of the lattice is phase stable
against phase noise imparted by vibrational noise on mirrors. We demonstrate
the dynamic control of the lattice by showing the coherent splitting of atoms
from single wells into double wells and observing the resulting double-slit
atom diffraction pattern. This lattice can be used to test controlled neutral
atom motion among lattice sites and should allow for testing controlled
two-qubit gates.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures Accepted for publication in Physical Review
High Density Mesoscopic Atom Clouds in a Holographic Atom Trap
We demonstrate the production of micron-sized high density atom clouds of
interest for meso- scopic quantum information processing. We evaporate atoms
from 60 microK, 3x10^14 atoms/cm^3 samples contained in a highly anisotropic
optical lattice formed by interfering di racted beams from a holographic phase
plate. After evaporating to 1 microK by lowering the con ning potential, in
less than a second the atom density reduces to 8x10^13 cm^- 3 at a phase space
density approaching unity. Adiabatic recompression of the atoms then increases
the density to levels in excess of 1x10^15 cm^-3. The resulting clouds are
typically 8 microns in the longest dimension. Such samples are small enough to
enable mesoscopic quantum manipulation using Rydberg blockade and have the high
densities required to investigate new collision phenomena.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR
Preparing and probing atomic number states with an atom interferometer
We describe the controlled loading and measurement of number-squeezed states
and Poisson states of atoms in individual sites of a double well optical
lattice. These states are input to an atom interferometer that is realized by
symmetrically splitting individual lattice sites into double wells, allowing
atoms in individual sites to evolve independently. The two paths then
interfere, creating a matter-wave double-slit diffraction pattern. The time
evolution of the double-slit diffraction pattern is used to measure the number
statistics of the input state. The flexibility of our double well lattice
provides a means to detect the presence of empty lattice sites, an important
and so far unmeasured factor in determining the purity of a Mott state
Non-destructive spatial heterodyne imaging of cold atoms
We demonstrate a new method for non-destructive imaging of laser-cooled
atoms. This spatial heterodyne technique forms a phase image by interfering a
strong carrier laser beam with a weak probe beam that passes through the cold
atom cloud. The figure of merit equals or exceeds that of phase-contrast
imaging, and the technique can be used over a wider range of spatial scales. We
show images of a dark spot MOT taken with imaging fluences as low as 61 pJ/cm^2
at a detuning of 11 linewidths, resulting in 0.0004 photons scattered per atom.Comment: text+3 figures, submitted to Optics Letter
Sublattice addressing and spin-dependent motion of atoms in a double-well lattice
We load atoms into every site of an optical lattice and selectively spin flip
atoms in a sublattice consisting of every other site. These selected atoms are
separated from their unselected neighbors by less than an optical wavelength.
We also show spin-dependent transport, where atomic wave packets are coherently
separated into adjacent sites according to their internal state. These tools
should be useful for quantum information processing and quantum simulation of
lattice models with neutral atoms
Zeros of Rydberg-Rydberg Foster Interactions
Rydberg states of atoms are of great current interest for quantum
manipulation of mesoscopic samples of atoms. Long-range Rydberg-Rydberg
interactions can inhibit multiple excitations of atoms under the appropriate
conditions. These interactions are strongest when resonant collisional
processes give rise to long-range C_3/R^3 interactions. We show in this paper
that even under resonant conditions C_3 often vanishes so that care is required
to realize full dipole blockade in micron-sized atom samples.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to J. Phys.
Topological orbital ladders
We unveil a topological phase of interacting fermions on a two-leg ladder of
unequal parity orbitals, derived from the experimentally realized double-well
lattices by dimension reduction. topological invariant originates simply
from the staggered phases of -orbital quantum tunneling, requiring none of
the previously known mechanisms such as spin-orbit coupling or artificial gauge
field. Another unique feature is that upon crossing over to two dimensions with
coupled ladders, the edge modes from each ladder form a parity-protected flat
band at zero energy, opening the route to strongly correlated states controlled
by interactions. Experimental signatures are found in density correlations and
phase transitions to trivial band and Mott insulators.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, Revised title, abstract, and the discussion on
Majorana numbe
Cooling toolbox for atoms in optical lattices
We propose and analyze several schemes for cooling bosonic and fermionic
atoms in an optical lattice potential close to the ground state of the
no-tunnelling regime. Some of the protocols rely on the concept of algorithmic
cooling, which combines occupation number filtering with ideas from ensemble
quantum computation. We also design algorithms that create an ensemble of
defect-free quantum registers. We study the efficiency of our protocols for
realistic temperatures and in the presence of a harmonic confinement. We also
propose an incoherent physical implementation of filtering which can be
operated in a continuous way.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure
Single atom quantum walk with 1D optical superlattices
A proposal for the implementation of quantum walks using cold atom technology
is presented. It consists of one atom trapped in time varying optical
superlattices. The required elements are presented in detail including the
preparation procedure, the manipulation required for the quantum walk evolution
and the final measurement. These procedures can be, in principle, implemented
with present technology.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
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