23 research outputs found
Fit-free determination of scale invariant equations of state: application to the 2D Bose gas across the Berezinksii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition
We present a general "fit-free" method for measuring the equation of state
(EoS) of a scale-invariant gas. This method, which is inspired from the
procedure introduced by Ku et al. [Science 335, 563 (2012)] for the unitary
three-dimensional Fermi gas, provides a general formalism which can be readily
applied to any quantum gas in a known trapping potential, in the frame of the
local density approximation. We implement this method on a weakly-interacting
two-dimensional Bose gas in the vicinity of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless
transition, and determine its EoS with unprecedented accuracy in the critical
region. Our measurements provide an important experimental benchmark for
classical field approaches which are believed to accurately describe quantum
systems in the weakly interacting but non-perturbative regime.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Practical scheme for a light-induced gauge field in an atomic Bose gas
We propose a scheme to generate an Abelian gauge field in an atomic gas using
two crossed laser beams. If the internal atomic state follows adiabatically the
eigenstates of the atom-laser interaction, Berry's phase gives rise to a vector
potential that can nucleate vortices in a Bose gas. The present scheme operates
even for a large detuning with respect to the atomic resonance, making it
applicable to alkali-metal atoms without significant heating due to spontaneous
emission. We test the validity of the adiabatic approximation by integrating
the set of coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations associated with the various
internal atomic states, and we show that the steady state of the interacting
gas indeed exhibits a vortex lattice, as expected from the adiabatic gauge
field.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Motion of a Solitonic Vortex in the BEC-BCS Crossover
We observe a long-lived solitary wave in a superfluid Fermi gas of Li
atoms after phase-imprinting. Tomographic imaging reveals the excitation to be
a solitonic vortex, oriented transverse to the long axis of the cigar-shaped
atom cloud. The precessional motion of the vortex is directly observed, and its
period is measured as a function of the chemical potential in the BEC-BCS
crossover. The long period and the correspondingly large ratio of the inertial
to the bare mass of the vortex are in good agreement with estimates based on
superfluid hydrodynamics that we derive here using the known equation of state
in the BEC-BCS crossover
Spin-Injection Spectroscopy of a Spin-Orbit Coupled Fermi Gas
The coupling of the spin of electrons to their motional state lies at the
heart of recently discovered topological phases of matter. Here we create and
detect spin-orbit coupling in an atomic Fermi gas, a highly controllable form
of quantum degenerate matter. We reveal the spin-orbit gap via spin-injection
spectroscopy, which characterizes the energy-momentum dispersion and spin
composition of the quantum states. For energies within the spin-orbit gap, the
system acts as a spin diode. To fully inhibit transport, we open an additional
spin gap, thereby creating a spin-orbit coupled lattice whose spinful band
structure we probe. In the presence of s-wave interactions, such systems should
display induced p-wave pairing, topological superfluidity, and Majorana edge
states
Cascade of Solitonic Excitations in a Superfluid Fermi gas: From Planar Solitons to Vortex Rings and Lines
We follow the time evolution of a superfluid Fermi gas of resonantly interacting [superscript 6]Li atoms after a phase imprint. Via tomographic imaging, we observe the formation of a planar dark soliton, its subsequent snaking, and its decay into a vortex ring, which, in turn, breaks to finally leave behind a single solitonic vortex. In intermediate stages, we find evidence for an exotic structure resembling the Φ soliton, a combination of a vortex ring and a vortex line. Direct imaging of the nodal surface reveals its undulation dynamics and its decay via the puncture of the initial soliton plane. The observed evolution of the nodal surface represents dynamics beyond superfluid hydrodynamics, calling for a microscopic description of unitary fermionic superfluids out of equilibrium.National Science Foundation (U.S.)United States. Army Research Office. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative on AtomtronicsUnited States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and EngineersUnited States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative on Exotic PhasesDavid & Lucile Packard Foundatio
A Multi-Purpose Platform for Analog Quantum Simulation
Atom-based quantum simulators have had tremendous success in tackling
challenging quantum many-body problems, owing to the precise and dynamical
control that they provide over the systems' parameters. They are, however,
often optimized to address a specific type of problems. Here, we present the
design and implementation of a Li-based quantum gas platform that provides
wide-ranging capabilities and is able to address a variety of quantum many-body
problems. Our two-chamber architecture relies on a robust and easy-to-implement
combination of gray molasses and optical transport from a laser-cooling chamber
to a glass cell with excellent optical access. There, we first create unitary
Fermi superfluids in a three-dimensional axially symmetric harmonic trap and
characterize them using in situ thermometry, reaching temperatures below 20 nK.
This allows us to enter the deep superfluid regime with samples of extreme
diluteness, where the interparticle spacing is sufficiently large for direct
single-atom imaging. Secondly, we generate optical lattice potentials with
triangular and honeycomb geometry in which we study diffraction of molecular
Bose-Einstein condensates, and show how going beyond the Kapitza-Dirac regime
allows us to unambiguously distinguish between the two geometries. With the
ability to probe quantum many-body physics in both discrete and continuous
space, and its suitability for bulk and single-atom imaging, our setup
represents an important step towards achieving a wide-scope quantum simulator
Strongly interacting Fermi gases
Strongly interacting gases of ultracold fermions have become an amazingly rich test-bed for many-body theories of fermionic matter. Here we present our recent experiments on these systems. Firstly, we discuss high-precision measurements on the thermodynamics of a strongly interacting Fermi gas across the superfluid transition. The onset of superfluidity is directly observed in the compressibility, the chemical potential, the entropy, and the heat capacity. Our measurements provide benchmarks for current many-body theories on strongly interacting fermions. Secondly, we have studied the evolution of fermion pairing from three to two dimensions in these gases, relating to the physics of layered superconductors. In the presence of p-wave interactions, Fermi gases are predicted to display toplogical superfluidity carrying Majorana edge states. Two possible avenues in this direction are discussed, our creation and direct observation of spin-orbit coupling in Fermi gases and the creation of fermionic molecules of [superscript 23]Na [superscript 40]K that will feature strong dipolar interactions in their absolute ground state
Superfluid behaviour of a two-dimensional Bose gas
Two-dimensional (2D) systems play a special role in many-body physics.
Because of thermal fluctuations, they cannot undergo a conventional phase
transition associated to the breaking of a continuous symmetry. Nevertheless
they may exhibit a phase transition to a state with quasi-long range order via
the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) mechanism. A paradigm example is the
2D Bose fluid, such as a liquid helium film, which cannot Bose-condense at
non-zero temperature although it becomes superfluid above a critical phase
space density. Ultracold atomic gases constitute versatile systems in which the
2D quasi-long range coherence and the microscopic nature of the BKT transition
were recently explored. However, a direct observation of superfluidity in terms
of frictionless flow is still missing for these systems. Here we probe the
superfluidity of a 2D trapped Bose gas with a moving obstacle formed by a
micron-sized laser beam. We find a dramatic variation of the response of the
fluid, depending on its degree of degeneracy at the obstacle location. In
particular we do not observe any significant heating in the central, highly
degenerate region if the velocity of the obstacle is below a critical value.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Thermodynamique du gaz de Bose à deux dimensions
The physical properties of homogeneous matter at thermal equilibrium are characterized by its equation of state: a relationship between different thermodynamic quantities. The two-dimensionnal Bose gas is particular in this respect because its equation of state is scale invariant in the presence of weak repulsive atomic interactions. Another remarkable feature of the 2D Bose gas is the existence of a phase transition to a superfluid state at low temperature. In this PhD thesis I present a measurement of the equation of state of the homogeneous 2D Bose gas for three thermodynamic quantities: the reduced pressure, the phase-space density and the entropy per particle. I also present a measurement of the interaction energy of a 2D gas trapped in a harmonic potential. This measurement highlighted the existence of a phase preceding the superfluid phase, in which density fluctuations are strongly reduced. This phase is an essential step in the establishment of the superfluid transition. Finally, I describe the observation of signatures of vortices in 2D Bose gases. These vortices are the key ingredient in the microscopic mechanism of the superfluid transition in two dimensions.Les propriétés physiques d'un système de particules homogène à l'équilibre thermodynamique sont caractérisées par son équation d'état : une relation entre différentes grandeurs thermodynamiques. Le gaz de Bose bi-dimensionnel est un système particulier de ce point de vue car son équation d'état est invariante par changement d'échelle en présence d'interactions atomiques répulsives faibles. Une autre caractéristique remarquable du gaz de Bose 2D est l'existence d'une transition de phase vers un état superfluide à basse température. Dans ce manuscrit de thèse, je présente une mesure de l'équation d'état du gaz de Bose homogène pour trois grandeurs thermodynamiques : la pression réduite, la densité dans l'espace des phases et l'entropie par particule. Je présente également une mesure de l'énergie d'interaction d'un gaz 2D piégé dans un potentiel harmonique. Cette mesure a permis de mettre en évidence l'existence d'une phase précédant la phase superfluide où les fluctuations de densité sont fortement réduites. Cette phase constitue une étape essentielle dans l'établissement de la transition superfluide. Enfin, je décris l'observation de signatures de vortex dans des gaz de Bose 2D. Ces vortex constituent l'ingrédient clé du mécanisme microscopique de la transition superfluide à deux dimensions