arXiv subjects

Henning Moritz

Publications and source records attributed to Henning Moritz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Realization of repulsive polarons in the strongly correlated regime

Mobile impurities interacting with a quantum medium form quasiparticles known as polarons, a central concept in many-body physics. While the quantum impurity problem has been extensively studied with ultracold atomic gases, repulsive polarons in the strongly correlated regime have remained elusive. Typically, the impurity atoms bind into molecules or rapidly decay into deeper lying states before they can acquire an appreciable dressing cloud. Here, we report on the realization of polarons in a strongly repulsive quasi-two-dimensional quantum gas. Using a superfluid of $^6$Li dimers, we introduce impurities by promoting a small fraction of the dimers into higher levels of the transverse confining potential. These novel synthetic-spin polarons give access to the strongly repulsive regime where common decay channels are suppressed. We extract key polaron properties - the energy, quasiparticle residue, and effective mass - using trap modulation and Bragg spectroscopy. Our measurements are well captured by a microscopic T-matrix approach and quantum Monte Carlo simulations, revealing deviations from mean-field predictions. In particular, we measure a significant enhancement of the polaron mass, with values exceeding twice the free dimer mass. Our demonstration of a stable repulsive Bose polaron establishes a platform for studying impurity physics in low-dimensional and strongly correlated systems.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2024

Hybridization of the amplitude mode in a confined fermionic superfluid

In phase transitions, spontaneous symmetry breaking results in a non-zero order parameter and two collective excitations: the Goldstone and the amplitude mode. These modes, which define key properties of superconductors and fermionic superfluids, are well-understood in homogeneous systems. However, their behavior under strong confinement remains largely unexplored, particularly when their excitation energy becomes comparable to the imposed discrete level spacing. In this scenario, hybridization between different collective modes is expected to take place. Here, we show how the amplitude mode hybridizes with a spatial mode in a confined fermionic superfluid. Using lattice modulation spectroscopy, we observe the evolution of the mode throughout the entire crossover from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) state to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of molecules. In the BCS regime, the excitation energy is located at twice the pairing gap, then gradually becomes an in-gap excitation in the strongly correlated regime. Further to the BEC limit, the excitation energy approaches twice the level spacing. The spectral weight of this mode vanishes when approaching the superfluid critical temperature. Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with an effective field theory, providing strong evidence that amplitude oscillations hybridize with and eventually transform into breathing oscillations of the order parameter. The strong modification of the excitation spectrum reveals how confinement and finite-size effects impact fundamental modes of symmetry-broken states.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2021

Comparing fermionic superfluids in two and three dimensions

Understanding the origins of unconventional superconductivity has been a major focus of condensed matter physics for many decades. While many questions remain unanswered, experiments have found that the systems with the highest critical temperatures tend to be layered materials where superconductivity occurs in two-dimensional (2D) structures. However, to what extent the remarkable stability of these strongly correlated 2D superfluids is related to their reduced dimensionality is still an open question. In this work, we use dilute gases of ultracold fermionic atoms as a model system to directly observe the influence of dimensionality on strongly interacting fermionic superfluids. We achieve this by measuring the superfluid gap of a strongly correlated quasi-2D Fermi gas over a wide range of interaction strengths and comparing the results to recent measurements in 3D Fermi gases. We find that the superfluid gap follows the same universal function of the interaction strength in both systems, which suggests that there is no inherent difference in the stability of fermionic superfluidity between two- and three-dimensional quantum gases. Finally, we compare our data to results from solid state systems and find a similar relation between the interaction strength and the gap for a wide range of two- and three-dimensional superconductors.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2021

Excitation Spectrum and Superfluid Gap of an Ultracold Fermi Gas

Ultracold atomic gases are a powerful tool to experimentally study strongly correlated quantum many-body systems. In particular, ultracold Fermi gases with tunable interactions have allowed to realize the famous BEC-BCS crossover from a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of molecules to a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid of weakly bound Cooper pairs. However, large parts of the excitation spectrum of fermionic superfluids in the BEC-BCS crossover are still unexplored. In this work, we use Bragg spectroscopy to measure the full momentum-resolved low-energy excitation spectrum of strongly interacting ultracold Fermi gases. This enables us to directly observe the smooth transformation from a bosonic to a fermionic superfluid that takes place in the BEC-BCS crossover. We also use our spectra to determine the evolution of the superfluid gap and find excellent agreement with previous experiments and self-consistent T-matrix calculations both in the BEC and crossover regime. However, towards the BCS regime a calculation that includes the effects of particle-hole correlations shows better agreement with our data.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2020

Single atom counting in a two-color magneto-optical trap

Recording the fluorescence of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) is a standard tool for measuring atom numbers in experiments with ultracold atoms. When trapping few atoms in a small MOT, the emitted fluorescence increases with the atom number in discrete steps, which allows to measure the atom number with single-particle resolution. Achieving such single particle resolution requires stringent minimization of stray light from the MOT beams, which is very difficult to achieve in experimental setups that require in-vacuum components close to the atoms. Here, we present a modified scheme that addresses this issue: Instead of collecting the fluorescence on the MOT (D2) transition, we scatter light on an additional probing (D1) transition and collect this fluorescence with a high-resolution microscope while filtering out the intense MOT light. Using this scheme, we are able to reliably distinguish up to 17 $^{40}$K atoms with an average classification fidelity of 95 \%.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2020

Observation of superfluidity in a strongly correlated two-dimensional Fermi gas

Understanding how strongly correlated two-dimensional (2D) systems can give rise to unconventional superconductivity with high critical temperatures is one of the major unsolved problems in condensed matter physics. Ultracold 2D Fermi gases have emerged as clean and controllable model systems to study the interplay of strong correlations and reduced dimensionality, but direct evidence of superfluidity in these systems has been missing. Here, we demonstrate superfluidity in an ultracold 2D Fermi gas by moving a periodic potential through the system and observing no dissipation below a critical velocity v$_{\rm c}$. We measure v$_{\rm c}$ as a function of interaction strength and find a maximum in the crossover regime between bosonic and fermionic superfluidity. Our measurement establishes ultracold Fermi gases as a powerful tool for studying the influence of reduced dimensionality on strongly correlated superfluids.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2020

Sound propagation and quantum limited damping in a two-dimensional Fermi gas

Strongly interacting two-dimensional Fermi systems are one of the great remaining challenges in many-body physics due to the interplay of strong local correlations and enhanced long-range fluctuations. Here, we probe the thermodynamic and transport properties of a 2D Fermi gas across the BEC-BCS crossover by studying the propagation and damping of sound modes. We excite particle currents by imprinting a phase step onto homogeneous Fermi gases trapped in a box potential and extract the speed of sound from the frequency of the resulting density oscillations. We measure the speed of sound across the BEC-BCS crossover and compare the resulting dynamic measurement of the equation of state both to a static measurement based on recording density profiles and to Quantum Monte Carlo calculations and find reasonable agreement between all three. We also measure the damping of the sound mode, which is determined by the shear and bulk viscosities as well as the thermal conductivity of the gas. We find that the damping is minimal in the strongly interacting regime and the diffusivity approaches the universal quantum bound $\hbar/m$ of a perfect fluid.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2019

An ideal Josephson junction in an ultracold two-dimensional Fermi gas

The role of reduced dimensionality in high temperature superconductors is still under debate. Recently, ultracold atoms have emerged as an ideal model system to study such strongly correlated 2D systems. Here, we report on the realisation of a Josephson junction in an ultracold 2D Fermi gas. We measure the frequency of Josephson oscillations as a function of the phase difference across the junction and find excellent agreement with the sinusoidal current phase relation of an ideal Josephson junction. Furthermore, we determine the critical current of our junction in the crossover from tightly bound molecules to weakly bound Cooper pairs. Our measurements clearly demonstrate phase coherence and provide strong evidence for superfluidity in a strongly interacting 2D Fermi gas.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Detecting Friedel oscillations in ultracold Fermi gases

Investigating Friedel oscillations in ultracold gases would complement the studies performed on solid state samples with scanning-tunneling microscopes. In atomic quantum gases interactions and external potentials can be tuned freely and the inherently slower dynamics allow to access non-equilibrium dynamics following a potential or interaction quench. Here, we examine how Friedel oscillations can be observed in current ultracold gas experiments under realistic conditions. To this aim we numerically calculate the amplitude of the Friedel oscillations which a potential barrier provokes in a 1D Fermi gas and compare it to the expected atomic and photonic shot noise in a density measurement. We find that to detect Friedel oscillations the signal from several thousand one-dimensional systems has to be averaged. However, as up to 100 parallel one-dimensional systems can be prepared in a single run with present experiments, averaging over about 100 images is sufficient.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Two-Dimensional Homogeneous Fermi Gases

We report on the experimental realization of homogeneous two-dimensional (2D) Fermi gases trapped in a box potential. In contrast to harmonically trapped gases, these homogeneous 2D systems are ideally suited to probe local as well as non-local properties of strongly interacting manybody systems. As a first measurement, we use a local probe to extract the equation of state (EOS) of a non-interacting Fermi gas. We then perform matter wave focusing to extract its momentum distribution and directly observe Pauli blocking in a near unity occupation of momentum states. Finally, we measure the momentum distribution of strongly interacting homogeneous 2D gases in the crossover between attractively interacting fermions and deeply-bound bosonic molecules.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Calibrating High Intensity Absorption Imaging of Ultracold Atoms

Absorption imaging of ultracold atoms is the foundation for quantitative extraction of information from experiments with ultracold atoms. Due to the limited exposure time available in these systems, the signal-to-noise ratio is largest for high intensity absorption imaging where the intensity of the imaging light is on the order of the saturation intensity. In this case, the absolute value of the intensity of the imaging light enters as an additional parameter making it more sensitive to systematic errors. Here, we present a novel and robust technique to determine the imaging intensity in units of the effective saturation intensity to better than 5%. We do this by measuring the momentum transferred to the atoms by the imaging light while varying its intensity. We further utilize the method to quantify the purity of the polarization of the imaging light and to determine the correct imaging detuning.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2016

Suppression of kHz-Frequency Switching Noise in Digital Micro-Mirror Devices

High resolution digital micro-mirror devices (DMD) make it possible to produce nearly arbitrary light fields with high accuracy, reproducibility and low optical aberrations. However, using these devices to trap and manipulate ultracold atomic systems for e.g. quantum simulation is often complicated by the presence of kHz-frequency switching noise. Here we demonstrate a simple hardware extension that solves this problem and makes it possible to produce truly static light fields. This modification leads to a 47 fold increase in the time that we can hold ultracold $^6$Li atoms in a dipole potential created with the DMD. Finally, we provide reliable and user friendly APIs written in Matlab and Python to control the DMD.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Probing superfluidity of Bose-Einstein condensates via laser stirring

We investigate the superfluid behavior of a Bose-Einstein condensate of $^6$Li molecules. In the experiment by Weimer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 095301 (2015) a condensate is stirred by a weak, red-detuned laser beam along a circular path around the trap center. The rate of induced heating increases steeply above a velocity $v_c$, which we define as the critical velocity. Below this velocity, the moving beam creates almost no heating. In this paper, we demonstrate a quantitative understanding of the critical velocity. Using both numerical and analytical methods, we identify the non-zero temperature, the circular motion of the stirrer, and the density profile of the cloud as key factors influencing the magnitude of $v_c$. A direct comparison to the experimental data shows excellent agreement.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

The critical velocity in the BEC-BCS crossover

We map out the critical velocity in the crossover from Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) to Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superfluidity with ultracold $^{6}$Li gases. A small attractive potential is dragged along lines of constant column density. The rate of the induced heating increases steeply above a critical velocity $v_c$. In the same samples, we measure the speed of sound $v_s$ by exciting density waves and compare the results to the measured values of $v_c$. We perform numerical simulations in the BEC regime and find very good agreement, validating the approach. In the strongly correlated regime, where theoretical predictions only exist for the speed of sound, our measurements of $v_c$ provide a testing ground for theoretical approaches.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Interferometric Measurement of Local Spin-Fluctuations in a Quantum Gas

The subtle interplay between quantum statistics and interactions is at the origin of many intriguing quantum phenomena connected to superfluidity and quantum magnetism. The controlled setting of ultracold quantum gases is well suited to study such quantum correlated systems. Current efforts are directed towards the identification of their magnetic properties, as well as the creation and detection of exotic quantum phases. In this context, it has been proposed to map the spin-polarization of the atoms to the state of a single-mode light beam. Here we introduce a quantum-limited interferometer realizing such an atom-light interface with high spatial resolution. We measure the probability distribution of the local spin-polarization in a trapped Fermi gas showing a reduction of spin-fluctuations by up to 4.6(3) dB below shot-noise in weakly interacting Fermi gases and by 9.4(8) dB for strong interactions. We deduce the magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature and discuss our measurements in terms of an entanglement witness.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

High-resolution imaging of ultracold fermions in microscopically tailored optical potentials

We report on the local probing and preparation of an ultracold Fermi gas on the length scale of one micrometer, i.e. of the order of the Fermi wavelength. The essential tool of our experimental setup is a pair of identical, high-resolution microscope objectives. One of the microscope objectives allows local imaging of the trapped Fermi gas of 6Li atoms with a maximum resolution of 660 nm, while the other enables the generation of arbitrary optical dipole potentials on the same length scale. Employing a 2D acousto-optical deflector, we demonstrate the formation of several trapping geometries including a tightly focussed single optical dipole trap, a 4x4-site two-dimensional optical lattice and a 8-site ring lattice configuration. Furthermore, we show the ability to load and detect a small number of atoms in these trapping potentials. A site separation of down to one micrometer in combination with the low mass of 6Li results in tunneling rates which are sufficiently large for the implementation of Hubbard-models with the designed geometries.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2010

Quantitative Determination of Temperature in the Approach to Magnetic Order of Ultracold Fermions in an Optical Lattice

We perform a quantitative simulation of the repulsive Fermi-Hubbard model using an ultracold gas trapped in an optical lattice. The entropy of the system is determined by comparing accurate measurements of the equilibrium double occupancy with theoretical calculations over a wide range of parameters. We demonstrate the applicability of both high-temperature series and dynamical mean-field theory to obtain quantitative agreement with the experimental data. The reliability of the entropy determination is confirmed by a comprehensive analysis of all systematic errors. In the center of the Mott insulating cloud we obtain an entropy per atom as low as 0.77kB which is about twice as large as the entropy at the Neel transition. The corresponding temperature depends on the atom number and for small fillings reaches values on the order of the tunneling energy.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2010

Observation of Elastic Doublon Decay in the Fermi-Hubbard Model

We investigate the decay of highly excited states of ultracold fermions in a three-dimensional optical lattice. Starting from a repulsive Fermi-Hubbard system near half filling, we generate additional doubly occupied sites (doublons) by lattice modulation. The subsequent relaxation back to thermal equilibrium is monitored over time. The measured doublon lifetime covers two orders of magnitude. In units of the tunneling time h/J it is found to depend exponentially on the ratio of on-site interaction energy U to kinetic energy J. We argue that the dominant mechanism for the relaxation is a high order scattering process involving several single fermions as scattering partners. A many-body calculation is carried out using diagrammatic methods, yielding good agreement with the data.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗