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Randall G. Hulet

Publications and source records attributed to Randall G. Hulet.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2015

Phase Diagram of a Strongly Interacting Spin-Imbalanced Fermi Gas

We obtain the phase diagram of spin-imbalanced interacting Fermi gases from measurements of density profiles of $^6$Li atoms in a harmonic trap. These results agree with, and extend, previous experimental measurements. Measurements of the critical polarization at which the balanced superfluid core vanishes generally agree with previous experimental results and with quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations in the BCS and unitary regimes. We disagree with the QMC results in the BEC regime, however, where the measured critical polarizations are greater than theoretically predicted. We also measure the equation of state in the crossover regime for a gas with equal numbers of the two fermion spin states.

physics.atom-ph↗
arXiv2015

Cooling Atomic Gases With Disorder

Cold atomic gases have proven capable of emulating a number of fundamental condensed matter phenomena including Bose-Einstein condensation, the Mott transition, Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov pairing and the quantum Hall effect. Cooling to a low enough temperature to explore magnetism and exotic superconductivity in lattices of fermionic atoms remains a challenge. We propose a method to produce a low temperature gas by preparing it in a disordered potential and following a constant entropy trajectory to deliver the gas into a non-disordered state which exhibits these incompletely understood phases. We show, using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, that we can approach the Neél temperature of the three-dimensional Hubbard model for experimentally achievable parameters. Recent experimental estimates suggest the randomness required lies in a regime where atom transport and equilibration are still robust.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2015

Detecting $π$-phase superfluids with $p$-wave symmetry in a quasi-1D optical lattice

We propose an experimental protocol to study $p$-wave superfluidity in a spin-polarized cold Fermi gas tuned by an $s$-wave Feshbach resonance. A crucial ingredient is to add a quasi-1D optical lattice and tune the fillings of two spins to the $s$ and $p$ band, respectively. The pairing order parameter is confirmed to inherit $p$-wave symmetry in its center-of-mass motion. We find that it can further develop into a state of unexpected $π$-phase modulation in a broad parameter regime. Measurable quantities are calculated, including time-of-flight distributions, radio-frequency spectra, and in situ phase-contrast imaging in an external trap. The $π$-phase $p$-wave superfluid is reminiscent of the $π$-state in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures but differs in symmetry and origin. If observed, it would represent another example of $p$-wave pairing, first discovered in He-3 liquids.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2015

Observation of antiferromagnetic correlations in the Hubbard model with ultracold atoms

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices have great potential to contribute to a better understanding of some of the most important issues in many-body physics, such as high-$T_c$ superconductivity. The Hubbard model describes many of the features shared by the copper oxides, including an interaction-driven Mott insulating state and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state. Optical lattices filled with a two-spin-component Fermi gas of ultracold atoms can faithfully realise the Hubbard model with readily tunable parameters, and thus provide a platform for the systematic exploration of its phase diagram. Realisation of strongly correlated phases, however, has been hindered by the need to cool the atoms to temperatures as low as the magnetic exchange energy, and also by the lack of reliable thermometry. Here we demonstrate spin-sensitive Bragg scattering of light to measure AFM spin correlations in a realisation of the 3D Hubbard model at temperatures down to 1.4 times that of the AFM phase transition. This temperature regime is beyond the range of validity of a simple high-temperature series expansion, which brings our experiment close to the limit of the capabilities of current numerical techniques. We reach these low temperatures using a unique compensated optical lattice technique, in which the confinement of each lattice beam is compensated by a blue-detuned laser beam. The temperature of the atoms in the lattice is deduced by comparing the light scattering to determinantal quantum Monte Carlo and numerical linked-cluster expansion calculations. Further refinement of the compensated lattice may produce even lower temperatures which, along with light scattering thermometry, would open avenues for achieving and characterising other novel quantum states of matter, such as the pseudogap regime of the 2D Hubbard model.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2015

Compressibility of a fermionic Mott insulator of ultracold atoms

We characterize the Mott insulating regime of a repulsively interacting Fermi gas of ultracold atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. We use in-situ imaging to extract the central density of the gas, and to determine its local compressibility. For intermediate to strong interactions, we observe the emergence of a plateau in the density as a function of atom number, and a reduction of the compressibility at a density of one atom per site, indicating the formation of a Mott insulator. Comparisons to state-of-the-art numerical simulations of the Hubbard model over a wide range of interactions reveal that the temperature of the gas is of the order of, or below, the tunneling energy scale. Our results hold great promise for the exploration of many-body phenomena with ultracold atoms, where the local compressibility can be a useful tool to detect signatures of different phases or phase boundaries at specific values of the filling.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2014

Collisions of matter-wave solitons

Solitons are localised wave disturbances that propagate without changing shape, a result of a nonlinear interaction which compensates for wave packet dispersion. Individual solitons may collide, but a defining feature is that they pass through one another and emerge from the collision unaltered in shape, amplitude, or velocity. This remarkable property is mathematically a consequence of the underlying integrability of the one-dimensional (1D) equations, such as the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, that describe solitons in a variety of wave contexts, including matter-waves$^{1,2}$. Here we explore the nature of soliton collisions using Bose-Einstein condensates of atoms with attractive interactions confined to a quasi-one-dimensional waveguide. We show by real-time imaging that a collision between solitons is a complex event that differs markedly depending on the relative phase between the solitons. Yet, they emerge from the collision unaltered in shape or amplitude, but with a new trajectory reflecting a discontinuous jump. By controlling the strength of the nonlinearity we shed new light on these fundamental features of soliton collisional dynamics, and explore the implications of collisions that bring the wave packets out of the realm of integrability, where they may undergo catastrophic collapse. 1. Zabusky, N.J. & Kruskal, M.D. Interaction of "solitons" in a collisionless plasma and the recurrence of initial states. Phys. Rev. Lett. 15, 240 (1965). 2. Zakharov, V.E. & Shabat, A.B. Exact theory of two-dimensional self-focusing and one-dimensional self-moduation of waves in nonlinear media. Sov. Phys. JEPT. 34, 62 (1972).

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2012

Enlarging and cooling the Néel state in an optical lattice

We propose an experimental scheme to favor both the realization and the detection of the Néel state in a two-component gas of ultracold fermions in a three-dimensional simple-cubic optical lattice. By adding three compensating Gaussian laser beams to the standard three pairs of retroreflected lattice beams, and adjusting the relative waists and intensities of the beams, one can significantly enhance the size of the Néel state in the trap, thus increasing the signal of optical Bragg scattering. Furthermore, the additional beams provide for adjustment of the local chemical potential and the possibility to evaporatively cool the gas while in the lattice. Our proposals are relevant to other attempts to realize many-body quantum phases in optical lattices.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2012

The Fermi Gases and Superfluids: Short Review of Experiment and Theory for Condensed Matter Physicists

The study of ultracold atomic Fermi gases is a rapidly exploding subject which is defining new directions in condensed matter and atomic physics. Quite generally what makes these gases so important is their remarkable tunability and controllability. Using a Feshbach resonance one can tune the attractive two-body interactions from weak to strong and thereby make a smooth crossover from a BCS superfluid of Cooper pairs to a Bose-Einstein condensed superfluid. Furthermore, one can tune the population of the two spin states, allowing observation of exotic spin-polarized superfluids, such as the Fulde Ferrell Larkin Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase. A wide array of powerful characterization tools, which often have direct condensed matter analogues, are available to the experimenter. In this Chapter, we present a general review of the status of these Fermi gases with the aim of communicating the excitement and great potential of the field.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2010

Spin-Imbalance in a One-Dimensional Fermi Gas

Superconductivity and magnetism generally do not coexist. Changing the relative number of up and down spin electrons disrupts the basic mechanism of superconductivity, where atoms of opposite momentum and spin form Cooper pairs. Nearly forty years ago Fulde and Ferrell and Larkin and Ovchinnikov proposed an exotic pairing mechanism (FFLO) where magnetism is accommodated by formation of pairs with finite momentum. Despite intense theoretical and experimental efforts, however, polarized superconductivity remains largely elusive. Here we report experimental measurements of density profiles of a two spin mixture of ultracold 6Li atoms trapped in an array of one dimensional (1D) tubes, a system analogous to electrons in 1D wires. At finite spin imbalance, the system phase separates with an inverted phase profile in comparison to the three-dimensional case. In 1D we find a partially polarized core surrounded by wings composed of either a completely paired BCS superfluid or a fully polarized Fermi gas, depending on the degree of polarization. Our observations are in quantitative agreement with theoretical calculations in which the partially polarized phase is found to be a 1D analogue of the FFLO state. This study demonstrates how ultracold atomic gases in 1D may be used to create non-trivial new phases of matter, and also paves the way for direct observation and further study of the FFLO phase.

physics.atom-ph↗
arXiv2009

Universality in Three- and Four-Body Bound States of Ultracold Atoms

Under certain circumstances, three or more interacting particles may form bound states. While the general few-body problem is not analytically solvable, the so-called Efimov trimers appear for a system of three particles with resonant two-body interactions. The binding energies of these trimers are predicted to be universally connected to each other, independent of the microscopic details of the interaction. By exploiting a Feshbach resonance to widely tune the interactions between trapped ultracold lithium atoms, we find evidence for two universally connected Efimov trimers and their associated four-body bound states. A total of eleven precisely determined three- and four-body features are found in the inelastic loss spectrum. Their relative locations on either side of the resonance agree well with universal theory, while a systematic deviation from universality is found when comparing features across the resonance.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2007

Stabilization of a Bose-Einstein droplet by hyperfine Rabi oscillations

A self-trapped Bose-Einstein condensate is shown to be stabilized in two-dimensional free space by Rabi oscillations between two hyperfine states which make an effective interatomic interaction oscillate in time. The stabilization mechanism is elucidated by using a two-component Gross-Pitaevskii equation combined with a variational analysis. The parameter regime of stability is investigated.

cond-mat.other↗
arXiv2006

Pairing and Phase Separation in a Polarized Fermi Gas

We report the observation of a pairing in a number polarized two-component gas of atomic fermions. Beyond a critical polarization, the gas separates into a superfluid paired core surrounded by a shell of normal unpaired fermions. The critical polarization diminishes with decreasing attractive interaction. We also measure the parameter β= 0.54 (5) describing the universal energy of a strongly interacting Fermi gas, and find good agreement with most recent theory. These results are relevant to predictions of exotic new phases of quark matter and of strongly magnetized superconductors.

cond-mat.other↗
arXiv2003

Conversion of an Atomic Fermi Gas to a Long-Lived Molecular Bose Gas

We have converted an ultracold Fermi gas of $^6$Li atoms into an ultracold gas of $^6$Li$_2$ molecules by adiabatic passage through a Feshbach resonance. Approximately $1.5 \times 10^5$ molecules in the least-bound, $v = 38$, vibrational level of the X$^1 Σ^+_g$ singlet state are produced with an efficiency of 50%. The molecules remain confined in an optical trap for times of up to 1 s before we dissociate them by a reverse adiabatic sweep.

cond-mat↗
arXiv2002

Formation and Propagation of Matter Wave Soliton Trains

Attraction between atoms in a Bose-Einstein-Condensate renders the condensate unstable to collapse. Confinement in an atom trap, however, can stabilize the condensate for a limited number of atoms, as was observed with 7Li, but beyond this number, the condensate collapses. Attractive condensates constrained to one-dimensional motion are predicted to form stable solitons for which the attractive interactions exactly compensate for the wave packet dispersion. Here we report the formation or bright solitons of 7Li atoms created in a quasi-1D optical trap. The solitons are created from a stable Bose-Einstein condensate by magnetically tuning the interactions from repulsive to attractive. We observe a soliton train, containing many solitons. The solitons are set in motion by offsetting the optical potential and are observed to propagate in the potential for many oscillatory cycles without spreading. Repulsive interactions between neighboring solitons are inferred from their motion.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2001

Photoassociative Frequency Shift in a Quantum Degenerate Gas

We observe a light-induced frequency shift in single-photon photoassociative spectra of magnetically trapped, quantum degenerate 7Li. The shift is a manifestation of the coupling between the threshold continuum scattering states and discrete bound levels in the excited-state molecular potential induced by the photoassociation laser. The frequency shift is observed to be linear in the laser intensity with a measured proportionality constant that is in good agreement with theoretical predictions. The frequency shift has important implications for a scheme to alter the interactions between atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate using photoassociation resonances.

cond-mat.soft↗
arXiv2000

Direct observation of growth and collapse of a Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive interactions

The dynamical behavior of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in a gas with attractive interactions is striking. Quantum theory predicts that BEC of a spatially homogeneous gas with attractive interactions is precluded by a conventional phase transition into either a liquid or solid. When confined to a trap, however, such a condensate can form provided that its occupation number does not exceed a limiting value. The stability limit is determined by a balance between self-attraction and a repulsion arising from position-momentum uncertainty under conditions of spatial confinement. Near the stability limit, self-attraction can overwhelm the repulsion, causing the condensate to collapse. Growth of the condensate, therefore, is punctuated by intermittent collapses, which are triggered either by macroscopic quantum tunneling or thermal fluctuation. Previous observation of growth and collapse has been hampered by the stochastic nature of these mechanisms. Here we reduce the stochasticity by controlling the initial number of condensate atoms using a two-photon transition to a diatomic molecular state. This enables us to obtain the first direct observation of the growth of a condensate with attractive interactions and its subsequent collapse.

cond-mat↗
arXiv2000

Stabilizing an Attractive Bose-Einstein Condensate by Driving a Surface Collective Mode

Bose-Einstein condensates of $^7$Li have been limited in number due to attractive interatomic interactions. Beyond this number, the condensate undergoes collective collapse. We study theoretically the effect of driving low-lying collective modes of the condensate by a weak asymmetric sinusoidally time-dependent field. We find that driving the radial breathing mode further destabilizes the condensate, while excitation of the quadrupolar surface mode causes the condensate to become more stable by imparting quasi-angular momentum to it. We show that a significantly larger number of atoms may occupy the condensate, which can then be sustained almost indefinitely. All effects are predicted to be clearly visible in experiments and efforts are under way for their experimental realization.

cond-mat↗