arXiv subjects

T. Zelevinsky

Publications and source records attributed to T. Zelevinsky.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

BaH molecular spectroscopy with relevance to laser cooling

We describe a simple experimental apparatus for laser ablation of barium monohydride (BaH) molecules and the study of their rovibrational spectra that are relevant to direct laser cooling. We present a detailed analysis of the properties of ablation plumes that can improve the understanding of surface ablation and deposition technologies. A range of absorption spectroscopy and collisional thermalization regimes has been studied. We directly measured the Franck-Condon factor of the $\mathrm{B}^2Σ^+(v'=0)\leftarrow\mathrm{X}^2Σ^+(v"=1)$ transition. Prospects for production of a high luminosity cryogenic BaH beam are outlined. This molecule is a promising candidate for laser cooling and ultracold fragmentation, both of which are precursors to novel experiments in many-body physics and precision measurement.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

A stabilized 18 GHz chip-scale optical frequency comb at 2.8x10-16 relative inaccuracy

Optical frequency combs, coherent light sources that connect optical frequencies with microwave oscillations, have become the enabling tool for precision spectroscopy, optical clockwork and attosecond physics over the past decades. Current benchmark systems are self-referenced femtosecond mode-locked lasers, but four-wave-mixing in high-Q resonators have emerged as alternative platforms. Here we report the generation and full stabilization of CMOS-compatible optical frequency combs. The spiral microcomb's two degrees-of-freedom, one of the comb line and the native 18 GHz comb spacing, are first simultaneously phase-locked to known optical and microwave references. Second, with pump power control, active comb spacing stabilization improves the long-term stability by six orders-of-magnitude, reaching an instrument-limited 3.6 mHz/sqrt(t) residual instability. Third, referencing thirty-three of the nitride frequency comb lines against a fiber comb, we demonstrate the comb tooth-to-tooth frequency relative inaccuracy down to 53 mHz and 2.8x10-16, heralding unprecedented chip-scale applications in precision spectroscopy, coherent communications, and astronomical spectrography.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Nonadiabatic Effects in Ultracold Molecules via Anomalous Linear and Quadratic Zeeman Shifts

Anomalously large linear and quadratic Zeeman shifts are measured for weakly bound ultracold $^{88}$Sr$_2$ molecules near the intercombination-line asymptote. Nonadiabatic Coriolis coupling and the nature of long-range molecular potentials explain how this effect arises and scales roughly cubically with the size of the molecule. The linear shifts yield nonadiabatic mixing angles of the molecular states. The quadratic shifts are sensitive to nearby opposite $f$-parity states and exhibit fourth-order corrections, providing a stringent test of a state-of-the-art \textit{ab initio} model.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Optical Production of Stable Ultracold $^{88}$Sr$_2$ Molecules

We have produced large samples of ultracold $^{88}$Sr$_2$ molecules in the electronic ground state in an optical lattice. The molecules are bound by 0.05 cm$^{-1}$ and are stable for several milliseconds. The fast, all-optical method of molecule creation via intercombination line photoassociation relies on a near-unity Franck-Condon factor. The detection uses a weakly bound vibrational level corresponding to a very large dimer. This is the first of two steps needed to create Sr$_2$ in the absolute ground quantum state. Lattice-trapped Sr$_2$ is of interest to frequency metrology and ultracold chemistry.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Dynamically configurable and optimizable Zeeman slower using permanent magnets and servomotors

We report on the implementation of a dynamically configurable, servomotor- controlled, permanent magnet Zeeman slower for quantum optics experiments with ultracold atoms and molecules. This atom slower allows for switching between magnetic field profiles that are designed for different atomic species. Additionally, through feedback on the atom trapping rate, we demonstrate that computer-controlled genetic optimization algorithms applied to the magnet positions can be used in situ to obtain field profiles that maximize the trapping rate for any given experimental conditions. The device is lightweight, remotely controlled, and consumes no power in steady state; it is a step toward automated control of quantum optics experiments.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2008

Prospects for application of ultracold Sr$_2$ molecules in precision measurements

Precision measurements with ultracold molecules require development of robust and sensitive techniques to produce and interrogate the molecules. With this goal, we theoretically analyze factors that affect frequency measurements between rovibrational levels of the Sr$_2$ molecule in the electronic ground state. This measurement can be used to constrain the possible time variation of the proton-electron mass ratio. Sr$_2$ is expected to be a strong candidate for achieving high precision due to the spinless nature and ease of cooling and perturbation-free trapping of Sr \cite{Zelevinsky2008}. The analysis includes calculations of two-photon transition dipole moments between deeply and weakly bound vibrational levels, lifetimes of intermediate excited states, and Stark shifts of the vibrational levels by the optical lattice field, including possibilities of Stark-cancellation trapping.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2008

New Limits on Coupling of Fundamental Constants to Gravity Using $^{87}$Sr Optical Lattice Clocks

The $^1\mathrm{S}_0$-$^3\mathrm{P}_0$ clock transition frequency $ν_\text{Sr}$ in neutral $^{87}$Sr has been measured relative to the Cs standard by three independent laboratories in Boulder, Paris, and Tokyo over the last three years. The agreement on the $1\times 10^{-15}$ level makes $ν_\text{Sr}$ the best agreed-upon optical atomic frequency. We combine periodic variations in the $^{87}$Sr clock frequency with $^{199}$Hg$^+$ and H-maser data to test Local Position Invariance by obtaining the strongest limits to date on gravitational-coupling coefficients for the fine-structure constant $α$, electron-proton mass ratio $μ$ and light quark mass. Furthermore, after $^{199}$Hg$^+$, $^{171}$Yb$^+$ and H, we add $^{87}$Sr as the fourth optical atomic clock species to enhance constraints on yearly drifts of $α$ and $μ$.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2008

Sr lattice clock at 1x10^{-16} fractional uncertainty by remote optical evaluation with a Ca clock

Optical atomic clocks promise timekeeping at the highest precision and accuracy, owing to their high operating frequencies. Rigorous evaluations of these clocks require direct comparisons between them. We have realized a high-performance remote comparison of optical clocks over km-scale urban distances, a key step for development, dissemination, and application of these optical standards. Through this remote comparison and a proper design of lattice-confined neutral atoms for clock operation, we evaluate the uncertainty of a strontium (Sr) optical lattice clock at the 1x10-16 fractional level, surpassing the best current evaluations of cesium (Cs) primary standards. We also report on the observation of density-dependent effects in the spin-polarized fermionic sample and discuss the current limiting effect of blackbody radiation-induced frequency shifts.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2007

Precision Test of Mass Ratio Variations with Lattice-Confined Ultracold Molecules

We propose a precision measurement of time variations of the proton-electron mass ratio using ultracold molecules in an optical lattice. Vibrational energy intervals are sensitive to changes of the mass ratio. In contrast to measurements that use hyperfine-interval-based atomic clocks, the scheme discussed here is model-independent and does not require separation of time variations of different physical constants. The possibility of applying the zero-differential-Stark-shift optical lattice technique is explored to measure vibrational transitions at high accuracy.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2006

Narrow Line Photoassociation in an Optical Lattice

With ultracold $^{88}$Sr in a 1D magic wavelength optical lattice, we performed narrow line photoassociation spectroscopy near the $^1$S$_0 - ^3$P$_1$ intercombination transition. Nine least-bound vibrational molecular levels associated with the long-range $0_u$ and $1_u$ potential energy surfaces were measured and identified. A simple theoretical model accurately describes the level positions and treats the effects of the lattice confinement on the line shapes. The measured resonance strengths show that optical tuning of the ground state scattering length should be possible without significant atom loss.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2005

Systematic study of the $^{87}$Sr clock transition in an optical lattice

With ultracold $^{87}$Sr confined in a magic wavelength optical lattice, we present the most precise study (2.8 Hz statistical uncertainty) to-date of the $^1S_0$ - $^3P_0$ optical clock transition with a detailed analysis of systematic shifts (20 Hz uncertainty) in the absolute frequency measurement of 429 228 004 229 867 Hz. The high resolution permits an investigation of the optical lattice motional sideband structure. The local oscillator for this optical atomic clock is a stable diode laser with its Hz-level linewidth characterized across the optical spectrum using a femtosecond frequency comb.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2004

Light-Pressure-Induced Shifts of 2^3S(J=1) = 2^3P(J=0,1,2) Helium Lines in a Vapor Cell and Implications for the Fine Structure Constant Measurement

This paper has been temporarily withdrawn by the authors. In the process of 4He 2P fine structure measurement in a vapor cell, highly nonlinear dependences of 2S_1 - 2P_J intervals on helium density are observed and attributed to light pressure. If total angular momentum of the excited state is not greater than that of the ground state, there are large polarization dependences and variations of shifts with helium pressure that exhibit apparent singularities. A pressure-variable cell may be a better system for control of this effect than an atomic beam. A method of avoiding the shifts for the fine structure measurement is suggested.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2004

Nonlinear Variation of Light-Pressure-Induced Multilevel Atomic Line Shifts with Vapor Pressure in Helium Spectroscopy

This paper has been temporarily withdrawn. Highly nonlinear dependences of 4He 2^3S - 2^3P lines on pressure were observed in vapor cell saturation spectroscopy. Line shifts agree with those expected from light-pressure-induced perturbation of atomic velocity distribution. In the lin-perp-lin pump and probe polarization configuration, multilevel atomic structure must be taken into account. For a two-level atom, the shift magnitude is determined by the collisional time constant, but when the system has dark states there is an additional time constant due to optical pumping. The collisional and optical time constants compete, and become equal at a certain pressure p_0. Saturation signal vanishes at p_0 whereas signal due to light pressure remains. This leads to a dependence of line centers on pressure that exhibits apparently singular behavior at p_0. The 2S - 2P(J=1) line shift reaches the natural half width. Vapor cells may be more suitable for investigation of this effect than atomic beams since the shifts vanish at sufficiently high pressures. Two ways of controlling the shifts for the helium 2P fine structure measurement are discussed.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2000

Large-Angle, Single-Order, One and Two-Dimensional Atomic Interferometry for Creation of Nanostructures

We have shown via explicit analysis as well as numerical simulation the design of two large angle interferometers employing two-photon pulses. The first one uses the technique of adiabatic following in a dark state to produce a large splitting angle atomic interferometer that is capable of producing one dimensional gratings with spacings as small as 2 nm. Unlike other large angle interferometers, this technique is not sensitive to errors in optical pulse area and decoherence from excited state decay. This may lead to a nearly two orders of magnitude improvement in the sensitivity of devices such as atomic gyroscopes, which are already as good as the best laser gyroscopes. The second interferometer uses the technique of Raman pulses to produce a two-dimensional interferometer, with independent choice of grating spacings in each direction, each being as small as 2 nm. This scheme may enable one to produce uniform arrays of quantum dots with dimensions of only a few nm on each side. In addition, it may be possible to generalize this process to produce arbitrary patterns with the same type of resolution.

quant-ph↗