145 research outputs found
Topological constraints on magnetostatic traps
We theoretically investigate properties of magnetostatic traps for cold atoms
that are subject to externally applied uniform fields. We show that Ioffe
Pritchard traps and other stationary points of are confined to a
two-dimensional curved manifold defined by .
We describe how stationary points can be moved over the manifold by applying
external uniform fields. The manifold also plays an important role in the
behavior of points of zero field. Field zeroes occur in two distinct types, in
separate regions of space divided by the manifold. Pairs of zeroes of opposite
type can be created or annihilated on the manifold. Finally, we give examples
of the manifold for cases of practical interest.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Raman transitions between hyperfine clock states in a magnetic trap
We present our experimental investigation of an optical Raman transition
between the magnetic clock states of Rb in an atom chip magnetic trap.
The transfer of atomic population is induced by a pair of diode lasers which
couple the two clock states off-resonantly to an intermediate state manifold.
This transition is subject to destructive interference of two excitation paths,
which leads to a reduction of the effective two-photon Rabi-frequency.
Furthermore, we find that the transition frequency is highly sensitive to the
intensity ratio of the diode lasers. Our results are well described in terms of
light shifts in the multi-level structure of Rb. The differential light
shifts vanish at an optimal intensity ratio, which we observe as a narrowing of
the transition linewidth. We also observe the temporal dynamics of the
population transfer and find good agreement with a model based on the system's
master equation and a Gaussian laser beam profile. Finally, we identify several
sources of decoherence in our system, and discuss possible improvements.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
Fully permanent magnet atom chip for Bose-Einstein condensation
We describe a self-biased, fully permanent magnet atom chip used to study
ultracold atoms and to produce a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The magnetic
trap is loaded efficiently by adiabatic transport of a magnetic trap via the
application of uniform external fields. Radio frequency spectroscopy is used
for in-trap analysis and to determine the temperature of the atomic cloud. The
formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate is observed in time of flight images
and as a narrow peak appearing in the radio frequency spectrum.Comment: changed title, substantial text modifications, journal reference
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Sub-Poissonian atom number fluctuations by three-body loss in mesoscopic ensembles
We show that three-body loss of trapped atoms leads to sub-Poissonian atom
number fluctuations. We prepare hundreds of dense ultracold ensembles in an
array of magnetic microtraps which undergo rapid three-body decay. The
shot-to-shot fluctuations of the number of atoms per trap are sub-Poissonian,
for ensembles comprising 50--300 atoms. The measured relative variance or Fano
factor agrees very well with the prediction by an analytic
theory () and numerical calculations. These results will facilitate
studies of quantum information science with mesoscopic ensembles.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Trapping of Rydberg Atoms in Tight Magnetic Microtraps
We explore the possibility to trap Rydberg atoms in tightly confining
magnetic microtraps. The trapping frequencies for Rydberg atoms are expected to
be influenced strongly by magnetic field gradients. We show that there are
regimes where Rydberg atoms can be trapped. Moreover, we show that so-called
magic trapping conditions can be found for certain states of rubidium, where
both Rydberg atoms and ground state atoms have the same trapping frequencies.
Magic trapping is highly beneficial for implementing quantum gate operations
that require long operation times
Resonant control of spin dynamics in ultracold quantum gases by microwave dressing
We study experimentally interaction-driven spin oscillations in optical
lattices in the presence of an off-resonant microwave field. We show that the
energy shift induced by this microwave field can be used to control the spin
oscillations by tuning the system either into resonance to achieve near-unity
contrast or far away from resonance to suppress the oscillations. Finally, we
propose a scheme based on this technique to create a flat sample with either
singly- or doubly-occupied sites, starting from an inhomogeneous Mott
insulator, where singly- and doubly-occupied sites coexist.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Classical realization of a strongly driven two-level system
A classical two-level system has been realized by coupling two propagation or two polarization modes of an optical ring resonator. This system can be driven by periodic modulation of either the coupling or the bare mode frequencies, at sufficient strength to violate the rotating-wave approximation (RWA) on resonance. Landau-Zener transitions, Rabi oscillation with non-RWA signature, and Autler-Townes doublets have been observed
Fabrication of magnetic atom chips based on FePt
We describe the design and fabrication of novel all-magnetic atom chips for
use in ultracold atom trapping. The considerations leading to the choice of
nanocrystalline exchange coupled FePt as best material are discussed. Using
stray field calculations, we designed patterns that function as magnetic atom
traps. These patterns were realized by spark erosion of FePt foil and e-beam
lithography of FePt film. A mirror magneto-optical trap (MMOT) was obtained
using the stray field of the foil chip.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Designs of magnetic atom-trap lattices for quantum simulation experiments
We have designed and realized magnetic trapping geometries for ultracold
atoms based on permanent magnetic films. Magnetic chip based experiments give a
high level of control over trap barriers and geometric boundaries in a compact
experimental setup. These structures can be used to study quantum spin physics
in a wide range of energies and length scales. By introducing defects into a
triangular lattice, kagome and hexagonal lattice structures can be created.
Rectangular lattices and (quasi-)one-dimensional structures such as ladders and
diamond chain trapping potentials have also been created. Quantum spin models
can be studied in all these geometries with Rydberg atoms, which allow for
controlled interactions over several micrometers. We also present some
nonperiodic geometries where the length scales of the traps are varied over a
wide range. These tapered structures offer another way to transport large
numbers of atoms adiabatically into subwavelength traps and back.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure
A lattice of microtraps for ultracold atoms based on patterned magnetic films
We have realized a two dimensional permanent magnetic lattice of
Ioffe-Pritchard microtraps for ultracold atoms. The lattice is formed by a
single 300 nm magnetized layer of FePt, patterned using optical lithography.
Our magnetic lattice consists of more than 15000 tightly confining microtraps
with a density of 1250 traps/mm. Simple analytical approximations for the
magnetic fields produced by the lattice are used to derive relevant trap
parameters. We load ultracold atoms into at least 30 lattice sites at a
distance of approximately 10 m from the film surface. The present result
is an important first step towards quantum information processing with neutral
atoms in magnetic lattice potentials.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
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