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Damir Aumiler

Publications and source records attributed to Damir Aumiler.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Observation of Discrete 1D Solitons in an Optically Induced Lattice in Rubidium Atomic Vapor

The manipulation of light in periodic structures is fundamental to the development of discrete photonics and provides a versatile platform for controlling light propagation in integrated and quantum photonic systems. This work reports the experimental observation of discrete one-dimensional (1D) solitons in a photonic lattice, optically induced in warm rubidium vapor. The lattice is generated by the interference of two coupling laser fields intersecting at a small angle, which creates a spatially modulated 1D refractive index. When a probe beam is focused into a single lattice site, discrete diffraction is observed. By increasing the probe intensity, discrete solitons emerge as a result of the balance between discrete diffraction and self-focusing within the nonlinear atomic medium. Experimental results are supported by numerical simulations, in which the refractive index is modeled via optical Bloch equations for a multilevel atomic system driven by the coupling and probe fields in a $Λ$ configuration. These results, combined with the inherent controlability of gain and loss in atomic vapors, suggest that this platform provides a versatile foundation for exploring non-Hermitian nonlinear dynamics and parity-time-symmetric photonic lattices.

physics.optics

Collective light shifts of many longitudinal cavity modes induced by coupling to a cold-atom ensemble

We experimentally study the interaction between a cold atom cloud and many longitudinal modes of a high quality Fabry-Perot cavity, by measuring signatures of collective light shifts in the cavity transmission spectrum of an optical frequency comb probe. Using a resonator coupled to more than $10^5$ intracavity atoms, we detect significant shifts of $\sim 100$ cavity modes simultaneously, which is a direct manifestation of physics beyond the hitherto explored regime of cavity-cold atom interaction with only single or few longitudinal modes at a time. For the cavity mode closest to the atomic resonance, we demonstrate a bistability in the transmission spectrum, arising due to a combined coupling of the cloud to an external pump laser and a cavity mode probed by the optical frequency comb. These results provide a first step toward deeper exploration of multifrequency cavity quantum electrodynamics, where ultrashort pulsed sources could be used for optical manipulation, cooling and entanglement of cold atoms in a resonator.

quant-ph

Lifetime measurement of the 5s5p 1P1 state in strontium

We present a direct lifetime measurement of the $5s5p~^1P_1$ state of strontium using time-correlated single-photon counting of laser induced fluorescence in a hot atomic beam. To achieve fast switch-off times and a high signal-to-noise ratio, we excite the strontium atoms with a femtosecond pulsed laser at $\approx$461 nm and collect the fluorescence onto a hybrid single-photon detector. Analysis of the measured exponential decay gives a lifetime of the $^1P_1$ state of $τ= (5.216 \pm 0.006_{stat} \pm 0.013_{sys})$ ns, where all the systematic effects have been thoroughly considered.

physics.atom-ph

Absolute frequency measurement of the 5s5p $^1P_1$ - 5s5d $^1D_2$ transition in strontium

We report on the absolute frequency determination of the 5s5p $^1P_1$ - 5s5d $^1D_2$ transition in atomic strontium, achieved through frequency comb-referenced laser-induced-fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy. We excite the 5s$^2$ $^1S_0$ - 5s5p $^1P_1$ transition using an on-resonance laser at $\approx$461 nm, and then measure the variation in the LIF signal while scanning the laser at $\approx$767 nm across the 5s5p $^1P_1$ - 5s5d $^1D_2$ transition. We determine the absolute frequency of $390599571.7\pm0.4$ MHz, with an accuracy that surpasses the previous most accurate measurement by two orders of magnitude. This measurement technique can be readily applied for precision spectroscopy of high-lying states not only in strontium, but also in other atomic species.

physics.atom-ph

Frequency-comb-induced radiation pressure force in dense atomic clouds

We investigate the frequency comb induced radiation pressure force acting on a cloud of cold $^{87}$Rb atoms. Reduction and spectral broadening of the frequency comb force are observed as the cloud's optical thickness is increased. Since the radiation pressure force is uniquely determined by light scattered by an atomic cloud, we discuss different scattering mechanisms, and point to the shadow effect as the dominant mechanism affecting FC-induced force in resonantly excited dense atomic clouds. Our results improve the understanding of the interaction of frequency comb light with many-atom ensembles, which is essential for novel frequency comb applications in simultaneous multi-species cooling, multi-mode quantum memories, and multi-mode atom-light interfaces.

physics.atom-ph

Manning free counterions fraction for a rod-like polyion - short DNA fragments in very low salt

We quantified the Manning free (uncondensed) counterions fraction $θ$ for dilute solutions of rod-like polyions - 150bp DNA fragments, in very low salt $<0.05$mM. Conductivity measurements of aqueous DNA solutions in the concentration range $0.015\leq c \leq 8$~mM (bp) were complemented by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements of the DNA polyion diffusion coefficient $D_p(c)$. We observed a crossover in the normalized conductivity $σ(c)/c$ which nearly halved across $c=0.05-1$ mM range, while $D_p(c)$ remained rather constant, as we established by FCS. Analyzing these data we extracted $θ(c)=0.30 - 0.45$, and taking the Manning asymmetry field effect on polyelectrolyte conductivity into account we got $θ(c)=0.40-0.60$. We relate the $θ(c)$ variation to gradual DNA denaturation occuring, in the very low salt environment, with the decrease in DNA concentration itself. The extremes of the experimental $θ(c)$ range occur towards the highest, above 1 mM and the lowest, below 0.05 mM, DNA concentrations, and correspond to the theoretical $θ$ values for dsDNA and ssDNA, respectively. Therefore, we confirmed Manning condensation and conductivity models to be valuable in description of dilute solutions of rod-like polyions.

cond-mat.soft