arXiv subjects

J. K. Fox

Publications and source records attributed to J. K. Fox.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2005

Experimental Characterization of 1-D Velocity Selection

We demonstrate a 1-D velocity selection technique which relies on combining magnetic and optical potentials. We have selected atom clouds with temperatures as low as 2.9% of the initial temperature, with an efficiency of 1%. The efficiency (percentage of atoms selected) of the technique can vary as slowly as the square root of the final temperature. In addition to selecting the coldest atoms from a cloud, this technique imparts a sharp cut-off in the velocity distribution. The cold selected atoms are confined in a small well, spatially separated from higher energy atoms. Such a non-thermal distribution may be useful for atom optics experiments, such as studies of atom tunneling.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2005

Classical and Quantum Analysis of One Dimensional Velocity Selection for Ultracold Atoms

We discuss a velocity selection technique for obtaining cold atoms, in which all atoms below a certain energy are spatially selected from the surrounding atom cloud. Velocity selection can in some cases be more efficient than other cooling techniques for the preparation of ultracold atom clouds in one dimension. With quantum mechanical and classical simulations and theory we present a scheme using a dipole force barrier to select the coldest atoms from a magnetically trapped atom cloud. The dipole and magnetic potentials create a local minimum which traps the coldest atoms. A unique advantage of this technique is the sharp cut-off in the velocity distribution of the sample of selected atoms. Such a non-thermal distribution should prove useful for a variety of experiments, including proposed studies of atomic tunneling and scattering from quantum potentials. We show that when the rms size of the atom cloud is smaller than the local minimum in which the selected atoms are trapped, the velocity selection technique can be more efficient in 1-D than some common techniques such as evaporative cooling. For example, one simulation shows nearly 6% of the atoms retained at a temperature 100 times lower than the starting condition.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2003

Quantum Process Tomography on Vibrational States of Atoms in an Optical Lattice

Quantum process tomography is used to fully characterize the evolution of the quantum vibrational state of atoms. Rubidium atoms are trapped in a shallow optical lattice supporting only two vibrational states, which we charcterize by reconstructing the 2x2 density matrix. Repeating this process for a complete set of inputs allows us to completely characterize both the system's intrinsic decoherence and resonant coupling.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Modified "delta kick cooling" for studies of atomic tunneling

We present progress towards a planned experiment on atomic tunneling of ultra-cold Rb atoms. As a first step in this experiment we present a realization of an improved form of "delta-kick cooling." By application of a pulsed magnetic field, laser cooled Rb atoms are further cooled by a factor of 10 (in 1-D) over the temperature out of molasses. Temperatures below 700 nK are observed. The technique can be used not only to cool without fundamental limit (but conserving phase-space density), but also to focus atoms, and as a spin-dependent probe.

quant-ph↗