arXiv · 0908.3046
Spin gradient thermometry for ultracold atoms in optical lattices
Abstract
We demonstrate spin gradient thermometry, a new general method of measuring the temperature of ultracold atoms in optical lattices. We realize a mixture of spins separated by a magnetic field gradient. Measurement of the width of the transition layer between the two spin domains serves as a new method of thermometry which is observed to work over a broad range of lattice depths and temperatures, including in the Mott insulator regime. We demonstrate the thermometry in a system of ultracold rubidium atoms, and suggest that interesting spin physics can be realized in this system. The lowest measured temperature is 1 nK, indicating that the system has reached the quantum regime, where insulating shells are separated by superfluid layers.
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David M. Weld, Patrick Medley, Hirokazu Miyake, David Hucul, David E. Pritchard, Wolfgang Ketterle. 2010-02-04. Spin gradient thermometry for ultracold atoms in optical lattices. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.103.245301
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