43 research outputs found
Phase Diagram of Bosons in Two-Color Superlattices from Experimental Parameters
We study the zero-temperature phase diagram of a gas of bosonic 87-Rb atoms
in two-color superlattice potentials starting directly from the experimental
parameters, such as wavelengths and intensities of the two lasers generating
the superlattice. In a first step, we map the experimental setup to a
Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian with site-dependent parameters through explicit
band-structure calculations. In the second step, we solve the many-body problem
using the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) approach and compute
observables such as energy gap, condensate fraction, maximum number
fluctuations and visibility of interference fringes. We study the phase diagram
as function of the laser intensities s_2 and s_1 as control parameters and show
that all relevant quantum phases, i.e. superfluid, Mott-insulator, and quasi
Bose-glass phase, and the transitions between them can be investigated through
a variation of these intensities alone.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Ultracold Bose gases in time-dependent 1D superlattices: response and quasimomentum structure
The response of ultracold atomic Bose gases in time-dependent optical
lattices is discussed based on direct simulations of the time-evolution of the
many-body state in the framework of the Bose-Hubbard model. We focus on
small-amplitude modulations of the lattice potential as implemented in several
recent experiment and study different observables in the region of the first
resonance in the Mott-insulator phase. In addition to the energy transfer we
investigate the quasimomentum structure of the system which is accessible via
the matter-wave interference pattern after a prompt release. We identify
characteristic correlations between the excitation frequency and the
quasimomentum distribution and study their structure in the presence of a
superlattice potential.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Response of Bose gases in time-dependent optical superlattices
The dynamic response of ultracold Bose gases in one-dimensional optical
lattices and superlattices is investigated based on exact numerical time
evolutions in the framework of the Bose-Hubbard model. The system is excited by
a temporal amplitude modulation of the lattice potential, as it was done in
recent experiments. For regular lattice potentials, the dynamic signatures of
the superfluid to Mott-insulator transition are studied and the position and
the fine-structure of the resonances is explained by a linear response
analysis. Using direct simulations and the perturbative analysis it is shown
that in the presence of a two-colour superlattice the excitation spectrum
changes significantly when going from the homogeneous Mott-insulator the quasi
Bose-glass phase. A characteristic and experimentally accessible signature for
the quasi Bose-glass is the appearance of low-lying resonances and a
suppression of the dominant resonance of the Mott-insulator phase.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures; added references and corrected typo
Bose-Fermi mixtures in 1D optical superlattices
The zero temperature phase diagram of binary boson-fermion mixtures in
two-colour superlattices is investigated. The eigenvalue problem associated
with the Bose-Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian is solved using an exact numerical
diagonalization technique, supplemented by an adaptive basis truncation scheme.
The physically motivated basis truncation allows to access larger systems in a
fully controlled and very flexible framework. Several experimentally relevant
observables, such as the matter-wave interference pattern and the
condensatefraction, are investigated in order to explore the rich phase
diagram. At symmetric half filling a phase similar to the Mott-insulating phase
in a commensurate purely bosonic system is identified and an analogy to recent
experiments is pointed out. Furthermore a phase of complete localization of the
bosonic species generated by the repulsive boson-fermion interaction is
identified. These localized condensates are of a different nature than the
genuine Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figure
Inventory of current EU paediatric vision and hearing screening programmes
Background: We examined the diversity in paediatric vision and hearing screening
programmes in Europe.
Methods: Themes relevant for comparison of screening programmes were derived from
literature and used to compile three questionnaires on vision, hearing and public-health
screening. Tests used, professions involved, age and frequency of testing seem to influence
sensitivity, specificity and costs most. Questionnaires were sent to ophthalmologists,
orthoptists, otolaryngologists and audiologists involved in paediatric screening in all EU fullmember,
candidate and associate states. Answers were cross-checked.
Results: Thirty-nine countries participated; 35 have a vision screening programme, 33 a
nation-wide neonatal hearing screening programme. Visual acuity (VA) is measured in 35
countries, in 71% more than once. First measurement of VA varies from three to seven years
of age, but is usually before the age of five. At age three and four picture charts, including Lea
Hyvarinen are used most, in children over four Tumbling-E and Snellen. As first hearing
screening test otoacoustic emission (OAE) is used most in healthy neonates, and auditory
brainstem response (ABR) in premature newborns. The majority of hearing testing
programmes are staged; children are referred after one to four abnormal tests. Vision
screening is performed mostly by paediatricians, ophthalmologists or nurses. Funding is
mostly by health insurance or state. Coverage was reported as >95% in half of countries, but
reporting was often not first-hand.
Conclusion: Largest differences were found in VA charts used (12), professions involved in
vision screening (10), number of hearing screening tests before referral (1-4) and funding
sources (8)
Quantum Dynamics of Strongly Correlated Ultracold Bose Gases in Optical Lattices
Ultracold bosonic gases in optical lattices are strongly correlated quantum systems similar to solids. The strong correlation between the electrons in a solid on the one hand, and the bosonic atoms in optical lattice on the other, exhibit various quantum phenomena like insulation, conductivity, localization of electrons and atoms, respectively. Controlled by the intensity of the lattice laser, the ultracold bosonic gas can be transferred from a regime with superfluid character for shallow lattices into a regime of strong correlations, the Mott insulator. As an additional external parameter besides the lattice depth, one can generate spatial inhomogeneities by superimposing an additional standing wave (so-called two-color superlattices), which gives rise to localization effects or the formation of a Bose-glass phase. In the present work, numerical simulations are employed in order to investigate characteristic signatures of the quantum phases in the low-energy excitation spectrum of one-dimensional systems. We simulate temporal small amplitude modulations of the optical lattice in analogy to experiments, and evaluate the response of the system from the time-evolved initial state. The lattice systems are described in the framework of the Bose-Hubbard model. For the evaluation of the time-evolved state, we employ several numerical methods. We analyze systems of small size (6 particles on 6 sites) using an exact time-evolution by integration of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The formulation of an importance truncation scheme enables us to retain only the relevant components of the model space in the strongly correlated regime and, thus, allows for the investigation of systems with 10 particles on 10 sites using exact time-evolution. Based on this method, we present results of the Mott-insulating regime as well as for the Bose-glass phase. Furthermore, we employ particle-hole methods, which allow for the treatment of systems with experimental lattice sizes and particle numbers. Starting from the equation of motion method we adapt the Tamm-Dancoff approximation as well as the random-phase approximation for the occupation number representation of the Bose-Hubbard model. We present results of simulations of up to 50 particles on 50 sites and discuss the impact of the lattice depth on the low-energy excitations (U-resonance). Moreover, the impact of a two-color superlattice and the variation of its amplitude is investigated