arXiv subjects

Charles W. Clark

Publications and source records attributed to Charles W. Clark.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Spatial correlations of one dimensional driven-dissipative systems of Rydberg atoms

We consider a one-dimensional lattice of atoms with laser excitation to a Rydberg state and spontaneous emission. The atoms are coupled due to the dipole-dipole interaction of the Rydberg states. This driven-dissipative system has a broad range of non-equilibrium phases, such as antiferromagnetic ordering and bistability. Using the quantum trajectory method, we calculate the spatial correlation function throughout the parameter space for up to 20 lattice sites. We show that bistability significantly strengthens the spatial correlations and entanglement.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Probing the circulation of ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates

This paper reports the results of a theoretical and experimental study of how the initial circulation of ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) can be probed by time-of-flight (TOF) images. We have studied theoretically the dynamics of a BEC after release from a toroidal trap potential by solving the 3D Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation. The trap and condensate characteristics matched those of a recent experiment. The circulation, experimentally imparted to the condensate by stirring, was simulated theoretically by imprinting a linear azimuthal phase on the initial condensate wave function. The theoretical TOF images were in good agreement with the experimental data. We find that upon release the dynamics of the ring--shaped condensate proceeds in two distinct phases. First, the condensate expands rapidly inward, filling in the initial hole until it reaches a minimum radius that depends on the initial circulation. In the second phase, the density at the inner radius increases to a maximum after which the hole radius begins slowly to expand. During this second phase a series of concentric rings appears due to the interference of ingoing and outgoing matter waves from the inner radius. The results of the GP equation predict that the hole area is a quadratic function of the initial circulation when the condensate is released directly from the trap in which it was stirred and is a linear function of the circulation if the trap is relaxed before release. These scalings matched the data. Thus, hole size after TOF can be used as a reliable probe of initial condensate circulation. This connection between circulation and hole size after TOF will facilitate future studies of atomtronic systems that are implemented in ultracold quantum gases.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Long range interactions of ytterbium in mixed quantum gases

We present methods for accurate evaluation of van der Waals coefficients of dimers with excited atoms that have a strong decay channel. We calculate C_6 coefficients for the Yb-Yb 1S_0+ 3P_{0,1}, 3P_0+3P_0 and Yb-Rb 3P_1+5s, 1S_0+ 5p_{1/2} dimers and C_8 coefficients for the Yb-Yb 1S_0+1S_0, 1S_0+3P_1 and Yb-Rb 1S_0+5s dimers. We evaluate uncertainties of all properties.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Long range interaction coefficients for ytterbium dimers

We evaluate the electric-dipole and electric-quadrupole static and dynamic polarizabilities for the 6s^2 ^1S_0, 6s6p ^3P_0, and 6s6p ^3P_1 states and estimate their uncertainties. A methodology is developed for an accurate evaluation of the van der Waals coefficients of dimers involving excited state atoms with strong decay channel to the ground state. This method is used for evaluation of the long range interaction coefficients of particular experimental interest, including the C_6 coefficients for the Yb-Yb ^1S_0+^3P_{0,1} and ^3P_0+^3P_0 dimers and C_8 coefficients for the ^1S_0+^1S_0 and ^1S_0+^3P_1 dimers.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Laser cooling and trapping of potassium at magic wavelengths

We carry out a systematic study of the static and dynamic polarizabilities of the potassium atom using a first-principles high-precision relativistic all-order method in which all single, double, and partial triple excitations of the Dirac-Fock wave functions are included to all orders of perturbation theory. Recommended values are provided for a large number of electric-dipole matrix elements. Static polarizabilities of the 4s, 4p_j, 5s, 5p_j, and 3d_j states are compared with other theory and experiment where available. We use the results of the polarizability calculations to identify magic wavelengths for the 4s-np transitions for $n = 4, 5$, i.e. those wavelengths for which the two levels have the same ac Stark shifts. These facilitate state-insensitive optical cooling and trapping. The magic wavelengths for the $4s-5p$ transitions are of particular interest for attaining a quantum gas of potassium at high phase-space density. We find 20 such wavelengths in the technically interest region of 1050-1130 nm. Uncertainties of all recommended values are estimated.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Blackbody radiation shift in the Sr optical atomic clock

We evaluated the static and dynamic polarizabilities of the 5s^2 ^1S_0 and 5s5p ^3P_0^o states of Sr using the high-precision relativistic configuration interaction + all-order method. Our calculation explains the discrepancy between the recent experimental 5s^2 ^1S_0 - 5s5p ^3P_0^o dc Stark shift measurement Δα= 247.374(7) a.u. [Middelmann et. al, arXiv:1208.2848 (2012)] and the earlier theoretical result of 261(4) a.u. [Porsev and Derevianko, Phys. Rev. A 74, 020502R (2006)]. Our present value of 247.5 a.u. is in excellent agreement with the experimental result. We also evaluated the dynamic correction to the BBR shift with 1 % uncertainty; -0.1492(16) Hz. The dynamic correction to the BBR shift is unusually large in the case of Sr (7 %) and it enters significantly into the uncertainty budget of the Sr optical lattice clock. We suggest future experiments that could further reduce the present uncertainties.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Unconventional Spin Density Waves in Dipolar Fermi Gases

The conventional spin density wave (SDW) phase (Overhauser, 1962), as found in antiferromagnetic metal for example (Fawcett 1988), can be described as a condensate of particle-hole pairs with zero angular momentum, $\ell=0$, analogous to a condensate of particle-particle pairs in conventional superconductors. While many unconventional superconductors with Cooper pairs of finite $\ell$ have been discovered, their counterparts, density waves with non-zero angular momenta, have only been hypothesized in two-dimensional electron systems (Nayak, 2000). Using an unbiased functional renormalization group analysis, we here show that spin-triplet particle-hole condensates with $\ell=1$ emerge generically in dipolar Fermi gases of atoms (Lu, Burdick, and Lev, 2012) or molecules (Ospelkaus et al., 2008; Wu et al.) on optical lattice. The order parameter of these exotic SDWs is a vector quantity in spin space, and, moreover, is defined on lattice bonds rather than on lattice sites. We determine the rich quantum phase diagram of dipolar fermions at half-filling as a function of the dipolar orientation, and discuss how these SDWs arise amidst competition with superfluid and charge density wave phases.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Approximate mean-field equations of motion for quasi-2D Bose-Einstein condensate systems

We present a method for approximating the solution of the three-dimensional, time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) for Bose-Einstein condensate systems where the confinement in one dimension is much tighter than in the other two. This method employs a hybrid Lagrangian variational technique whose trial wave function is the product of a completely unspecified function of the coordinates in the plane of weak confinement and a gaussian in the strongly confined direction having a time-dependent width and quadratic phase. The hybrid Lagrangian variational method produces equations of motion that consist of (1) a two-dimensional, effective GPE whose nonlinear coefficient contains the width of the gaussian and (2) an equation of motion for the width that depends on the integral of the fourth power of the solution of the 2D effective GPE. We apply this method to the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates confined in ring-shaped potentials and compare the approximate solution to the numerical solution of the full 3D GPE.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Ytterbium in quantum gases and atomic clocks: van der Waals interactions and blackbody shifts

We evaluated the C_6 coefficients of Yb-Yb and Yb -alkali/group II van der Waals interactions with 2% uncertainty. The only existing results for such quantities are for the Yb-Yb dimer. Our value, C_6=1929(39) a.u., is in excellent agreement with the recent experimental determination of 1932(35) a.u. We have also developed a new approach for the calculation of the dynamic correction to the blackbody radiation shift. We have calculated this quantity for the Yb 6s^2 ^1S_0 - 6s6p ^3P_0 clock transition with 3.5% uncertainty. This reduces the fractional uncertainty due to the blackbody radiation shift in the Yb optical clock at 300 K to 10^{-18} level.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Noise Correlation Scalings: Revisiting the Quantum Phase Transition in Incommensurate Lattices with Hard-Core Bosons

Finite size scalings of the momentum distribution and noise correlations are performed to study Mott insulator, Bose glass, and superfluid quantum phases in hard-core bosons (HCBs) subjected to quasi-periodic disorder. The exponents of the correlation functions at the Superfluid to Bose glass (SF-BG) transition are found to be approximately one half of the ones that characterizes the superfluid phase. The derivatives of the peak intensities of the correlation functions with respect to quasiperiodic disorder are shown to diverge at the SF-BG critical point. This behavior does not occur in the corresponding free fermion system, which also exhibits an Anderson-like transition at the same critical point, and thus provides a unique experimental tool to locate the phase transition in interacting bosonic systems. We also report on the absence of primary sublattice peaks in the momentum distribution of the superfluid phase for special fillings.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Magic wavelengths for optical cooling and trapping of lithium

Using first-principles calculations, we identify magic wavelengths for the 2s-2p and 2s-3p transitions in lithium. The ns and np atomic levels have the same ac Stark shifts at the corresponding magic wavelength, which facilitates state-insensitive optical cooling and trapping. Tune-out wavelengths for which the ground-state frequency-dependent polarizability vanishes are also calculated. Differences of these wavelengths between 6Li and 7Li are reported. Our approach uses high-precision, relativistic all-order methods in which all single, double, and partial triple excitations of the Dirac-Fock wave functions are included to all orders of perturbation theory. Recommended values are provided for a large number of Li electric-dipole matrix elements. Static polarizabilities for the 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, and 3d levels are compared with other theory and experiment where available. Uncertainties of all recommended values are estimated. The magic wavelengths for the uv 2s-3p transition are of particular interest for the production of a quantum gas of lithium [Duarte et al., Phys. Rev. A 84, 061406R (2011)].

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Three-Dimensional Spin-Orbit Coupling in a Trap

We investigate the properties of an atom under the influence of a synthetic three-dimensional spin-orbit coupling (Weyl coupling) in the presence of a harmonic trap. The conservation of total angular momentum provides a numerically efficient scheme for finding the spectrum and eigenfunctions of the system. We show that at large spin-orbit coupling the system undergoes dimensional reduction from three to one dimension at low energies, and the spectrum is approximately Landau level-like. At high energies, the spectrum is approximately given by the three-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator. We explore the properties of the ground state in both position and momentum space. We find the ground state has spin textures with oscillations set by the spin-orbit length scale.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Polarizabilities of Si^{2+}: a benchmark test of theory and experiment

We have calculated electric-dipole polarizabilities of the 3s^2 ^1S_0, 3s3p ^3P_0, and 3s3p ^1P_1 states of the Si^{2+} ion using recently developed configuration interaction + all-order method. Detailed evaluation of the uncertainties of the final results is carried out. Our value for the ground state electric-dipole polarizability 11.670(13) a.u. is in excellent agreement with the resonant excitation Stark ionization spectroscopy value 11.669(9) a.u. [Komara et al., J. Phys. B 38, 87 (2005); Mitroy, Phys. Rev. A 78, 052515 (2008)]. This work represents the most precise benchmark test to date of theory and experiment in divalent atoms. The near cancellation of the ns^2 ^1S_0 ground state and the lowest nsnp ^3P_0 polarizabilities previously observed in B+, Al+, In+, Tl+, and Pb^{2+} is also found in Si^{2+} ion.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Bond order solid of two-dimensional dipolar fermions

Recent experimental realization of dipolar Fermi gases near or below quantum degeneracy provides opportunity to engineer Hubbard-like models with long range interactions. Motivated by these experiments, we chart out the theoretical phase diagram of interacting dipolar fermions on the square lattice at zero temperature and half filling. We show that in addition to p-wave superfluid and charge density wave order, two new and exotic types of bond order emerge generically in dipolar fermion systems. These phases feature homogeneous density but periodic modulations of the kinetic hopping energy between nearest or next-nearest neighbors. Similar, but manifestly different, phases of two-dimensional correlated electrons have previously only been hypothesized and termed "density waves of nonzero angular momentum". Our results suggest that these phases can be constructed flexibly with dipolar fermions, using currently available experimental techniques.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Prototyping method for Bragg-type atom interferometers

We present a method for rapid prototyping of new Bragg ultra-cold atom interferometer (AI) designs useful for assessing the performance of such interferometers. The method simulates the overall effect on the condensate wave function in a given AI design using two separate elements. These are (1) modeling the effect of a Bragg pulse on the wave function and (2) approximating the evolution of the wave function during the intervals between the pulses. The actual sequence of these pulses and intervals is then followed to determine the approximate final wave function from which the interference pattern can be calculated. The exact evolution between pulses is assumed to be governed by the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation whose solution is approximated using a Lagrangian Variational Method to facilitate rapid prototyping. The method presented here is an extension of an earlier one that was used to analyze the results of an experiment [J.E. Simsarian, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 2040 (2000)], where the phase of a Bose-Einstein condensate was measured using a Mach- Zehnder-type Bragg AI. We have developed both 1D and 3D versions of this method and we have determined their validity by comparing their predicted interference patterns with those obtained by numerical integration of the 1D GP equation and with the results of the above experiment. We find excellent agreement between the 1D interference patterns predicted by this method and those found by the GP equation. We show that we can reproduce all of the results of that experiment without recourse to an ad hoc velocity-kick correction needed by the earlier method, including some experimental results that the earlier model did not predict. We also found that this method provides estimates of 1D interference patterns at least four orders-of-magnitude faster than direct numerical solution of the 1D GP equation.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Precision calculation of blackbody radiation shifts for optical frequency metrology

We show that three group IIIB divalent ions, B+, Al+, and In+, have anomalously small blackbody radiation (BBR) shifts of the ns^2 1S0 - nsnp 3P0 clock transitions. The fractional BBR shifts for these ions are at least 10 times smaller than those of any other present or proposed optical frequency standards at the same temperature, and are less than 0.3% of the Sr clock shift. We have developed a hybrid configuration interaction + coupled-cluster method that provides accurate treatment of correlation corrections in such ions, considers all relevant states in the same systematic way, and yields a rigorous upper bound on the uncertainty of the final results. We reduce the BBR contribution to the fractional frequency uncertainty of the Al+ clock to 4 \times 10^{-19} at T=300K. We also reduce the uncertainties due to this effect at room temperature to 10^{-18} level for B+ and In+ to facilitate further development of these systems for metrology and quantum sensing. These uncertainties approach recent estimates of the feasible precision of currently proposed optical atomic clocks.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

Detecting paired and counterflow superfluidity via dipole oscillations

We suggest an experimentally feasible procedure to observe paired and counterflow superfluidity in ultra-cold atom systems. We study the time evolution of one-dimensional mixtures of bosonic atoms in an optical lattice following an abrupt displacement of an additional weak confining potential. We find that the dynamic responses of the paired superfluid phase for attractive inter-species interactions and the counterflow superfluid phase for repulsive interactions are qualitatively distinct and reflect the quasi long-range order that characterizes these states. These findings suggest a clear experimental procedure to detect these phases, and give an intuitive insight into their dynamics.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Magic-zero wavelengths of alkali-metal atoms and their applications

Using first-principles calculations, we identify "magic-zero" optical wavelengths, λ_zero, for which the ground-state frequency-dependent polarizabilities of alkali-metal atoms vanish. Our approach uses high-precision, relativistic all-order methods in which all single, double, and partial triple excitations of the Dirac-Fock wave functions are included to all orders of perturbation theory. We discuss the use of magic-zero wavelengths for sympathetic cooling in two-species mixtures of alkalis with group-II and other elements of interest. Special cases in which these wavelengths coincide with strong resonance transitions in a target system are identified.

physics.atom-ph↗