1,540 research outputs found
Route to turbulence in a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate
We have studied a Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms under an
oscillatory excitation. For a fixed frequency of excitation, we have explored
how the values of amplitude and time of excitation must be combined in order to
produce quantum turbulence in the condensate. Depending on the combination of
these parameters different behaviors are observed in the sample. For the lowest
values of time and amplitude of excitation, we observe a bending of the main
axis of the cloud. Increasing the amplitude of excitation we observe an
increasing number of vortices. The vortex state can evolve into the turbulent
regime if the parameters of excitation are driven up to a certain set of
combinations. If the value of the parameters of these combinations is exceeded,
all vorticity disappears and the condensate enters into a different regime
which we have identified as the granular phase. Our results are summarized in a
diagram of amplitude versus time of excitation in which the different
structures can be identified. We also present numerical simulations of the
Gross-Pitaevskii equation which support our observations.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Photoassociative ionization of Na inside a storage ring
Motivated by recent interest in low dimensional arrays of atoms, we
experimentally investigated the way cold collisional processes are affected by
the geometry of the considered atomic sample. More specifically, we studied the
case of photoassociative ionization (PAI) both in a storage ring where
collision is more unidirectional in character and in a trap with clear
undefinition of collision axis. First, creating a ring shaped trap (atomotron)
we investigated two-color PAI dependence with intensity and polarization of a
probing laser. The intensity dependence of the PAI rate was also measured in a
magneto-optical trap presenting equivalent temperature and density conditions.
Indeed, the results show that in the ring trap, the value of the PAI rate
constant is much lower and does not show evidences of saturation, unlike in the
case of the 3D-MOT. Cold atomic collisions in storage ring may represent new
possibilities for study.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures; Accepted by Optics Communicatio
Functionalizing self-assembled GaN quantum dot superlattices by Eu-implantation
Self-assembled GaN quantum dots (QDs) stacked in superlattices (SL) with AlN spacer layers were implanted with Europium ions to fluences of 1013, 1014, and 1015 cm−2. The damage level introduced in the QDs by the implantation stays well below that of thick GaN epilayers. For the lowest fluence, the structural properties remain unchanged after implantation and annealing while for higher fluences the implantation damage causes an expansion of the SL in the [0001] direction which increases with implantation fluence and is only partly reversed after thermal annealing at 1000 °C. Nevertheless, in all cases, the SL quality remains very good after implantation and annealing with Eu ions incorporated preferentially into near-substitutional cation sites. Eu3+ optical activation is achieved after annealing in all samples. In the sample implanted with the lowest fluence, the Eu3+ emission arises mainly from Eu incorporated inside the QDs while for the higher fluences only the emission from Eu inside the AlN-buffer, capping, and spacer layers is observed.
© 2010 American Institute of PhysicsFCT-PTDC/CTM/100756/2008program PESSOA EGIDE/GRICESFCT-SFRH/BD/45774/2008FCT-SFRH/BD/44635/200
Collective excitation of a Bose-Einstein condensate by modulation of the atomic scattering length
We excite the lowest-lying quadrupole mode of a Bose-Einstein condensate by
modulating the atomic scattering length via a Feshbach resonance. Excitation
occurs at various modulation frequencies, and resonances located at the natural
quadrupole frequency of the condensate and at the first harmonic are observed.
We also investigate the amplitude of the excited mode as a function of
modulation depth. Numerical simulations based on a variational calculation
agree with our experimental results and provide insight into the observed
behavior.Comment: Submitted to PR
Three-vortex configurations in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates
We report on the creation of three-vortex clusters in a
Bose-Einstein condensate by oscillatory excitation of the condensate. This
procedure can create vortices of both circulation, so that we are able to
create several types of vortex clusters using the same mechanism. The
three-vortex configurations are dominated by two types, namely, an
equilateral-triangle arrangement and a linear arrangement. We interpret these
most stable configurations respectively as three vortices with the same
circulation, and as a vortex-antivortex-vortex cluster. The linear
configurations are very likely the first experimental signatures of predicted
stationary vortex clusters.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Measurement of interaction energy near a Feshbach resonance in a 6Li Fermi gas
We investigate the strongly interacting regime in an optically trapped Li
Fermi mixture near a Feshbach resonance. The resonance is found at G
in good agreement with theory. Anisotropic expansion of the gas is interpreted
by collisional hydrodynamics. We observe an unexpected and large shift (G)
between the resonance peak and both the maximum of atom loss and the change of
sign of the interaction energy.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Capture Velocity for a Magneto-Optical Trap in a Broad Range of Light Intensity
In a recent paper, we have used the dark-spot Zeeman tuned slowing technique
[Phys. Rev. A 62, 013404-1, (2000)] to measure the capture velocity as a
function of laser intensity for a sodium magneto optical trap. Due to technical
limitation we explored only the low light intensity regime, from 0 to 27
mW/cm^2. Now we complement that work measuring the capture velocity in a
broader range of light intensities (from 0 to 400 mW/cm^2). New features,
observed in this range, are important to understant the escape velocity
behavior, which has been intensively used in the interpretation of cold
collisions. In particular, we show in this brief report that the capture
velocity has a maximum as function of the trap laser intensity, which would
imply a minimum in the trap loss rates.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figure
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