Optimized minigaps for negative differential resistance creation in strongly delta-doped (1D) superlattices

The "atomic saw method" uses the passage of dislocations in two-dimensional (2D) quantum-well superlattices to create periodic slipping layers and one-dimensional (1D) quantum wire superlattices. The effects of this space structuring of the samples on the allowed energies are analysed in the case of GaAs d-doped superlattices. If they are sufficiently large, the various minigaps appearing in the 1D band structure could be responsible for the presence of negative differential resistance (NDR) with high critical current in these systems. The purpose is to determine the evolution of the minigaps in terms of the sample parameters and to obtain the means to determine both the 2D and 1D structural characteristics where NDR could appear.Comment: see erratum 10.1006/spmi.1998.070

Study and characterization by magnetophonon resonance of the energy structuring in GaAs/AlAs quantum-wire superlattices

We present the characterization of the band structure of GaAs/AlAs quantum-wire 1D superlattices performed by magnetophonon resonance with pulsed magnetic fields up to 35 T. The samples, generated by the "atomic saw method" from original quantum-well 2D superlattices, underwent substantial modifications of their energy bands built up on the X-states of the bulk. We have calculated the band structure by a finite element method and we have studied the various miniband structures built up of the masses m_t and m_l of GaAs and AlAs at the point X. From an experimental point of view, the main result is that in the 2D case we observe only resonances when the magnetic field B is applied along the growth axis whereas in the 1D case we obtain resonances in all magnetic field configurations. The analysis of the maxima (or minima for B // E) in the resistivity rho_xy as a function of B allows us to account, qualitatively and semi-quantitatively, for the band structure theoretically expected

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

A Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Uniform Light-induced Vector Potential

We use a two-photon dressing field to create an effective vector gauge potential for Bose-condensed Rb atoms in the F=1 hyperfine ground state. The dressed states in this Raman field are spin and momentum superpositions, and we adiabatically load the atoms into the lowest energy dressed state. The effective Hamiltonian of these neutral atoms is like that of charged particles in a uniform magnetic vector potential, whose magnitude is set by the strength and detuning of Raman coupling. The spin and momentum decomposition of the dressed states reveals the strength of the effective vector potential, and our measurements agree quantitatively with a simple single-particle model. While the uniform effective vector potential described here corresponds to zero magnetic field, our technique can be extended to non-uniform vector potentials, giving non-zero effective magnetic fields.Comment: 5 pages, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Accumulation and thermalization of cold atoms in a finite-depth magnetic trap

We experimentally and theoretically study the continuous accumulation of cold atoms from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) into a finite depth trap, consisting in a magnetic quadrupole trap dressed by a radiofrequency (RF) field. Chromium atoms (52 isotope) in a MOT are continuously optically pumped by the MOT lasers to metastable dark states. In presence of a RF field, the temperature of the metastable atoms that remain magnetically trapped can be as low as 25 microK, with a density of 10^17 atoms.m-3, resulting in an increase of the phase-space density, still limited to 7.10^-6 by inelastic collisions. To investigate the thermalization issues in the truncated trap, we measure the free evaporation rate in the RF-truncated magnetic trap, and deduce the average elastic cross section for atoms in the 5D4 metastable states, equal to 7.0 10^-16m2.Comment: 9 pages, 10 Figure

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