arXiv subjects

Wolfgang Ketterle

Publications and source records attributed to Wolfgang Ketterle.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

One dimensional magneto-optical compression of a cold CaF molecular beam

We demonstrate with a RF-MOT the one dimensional, transverse magneto-optical compression of a cold beam of calcium monofluoride (CaF). By continually alternating the magnetic field direction and laser polarizations of the magneto-optical trap, a photon scattering rate of $2π\times$0.4 MHz is achieved. A 3D model for this RF-MOT, validated by agreement with data, predicts a 3D RF-MOT capture velocity for CaF of 5 m/s.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Coherence Times of Bose-Einstein Condensates beyond the Shot-Noise Limit via Superfluid Shielding

We demonstrate a new way to extend the coherence time of separated Bose-Einstein condensates that involves immersion into a superfluid bath. When both the system and the bath have similar scattering lengths, immersion in a superfluid bath cancels out inhomogeneous potentials either imposed by external fields or inherent in density fluctuations due to atomic shot noise. This effect, which we call superfluid shielding, allows for coherence lifetimes beyond the projection noise limit. We probe the coherence between separated condensates in different sites of an optical lattice by monitoring the contrast and decay of Bloch oscillations. Our technique demonstrates a new way that interactions can improve the performance of quantum devices.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2016

Spin-Orbit Coupling and Spin Textures in Optical Superlattices

We proposed and demonstrated a new approach for realizing spin orbit coupling with ultracold atoms. We use orbital levels in a double well potential as pseudospin states. Two-photon Raman transitions between left and right wells induce spin-orbit coupling. This scheme does not require near resonant light, features adjustable interactions by shaping the double well potential, and does not depend on special properties of the atoms. A pseudospinor Bose-Einstein condensate spontaneously acquires an antiferromagnetic pseudospin texture which breaks the lattice symmetry similar to a supersolid.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2016

Laser slowing of CaF molecules to near the capture velocity of a molecular MOT

Laser slowing of CaF molecules down to the capture velocity of a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for molecules is achieved. Starting from a two-stage buffer gas beam source, we apply frequency-broadened "white-light" slowing and observe approximately 6x10^4 CaF molecules with velocities near 10\,m/s. CaF is a candidate for collisional studies in the mK regime. This work represents a significant step towards magneto-optical trapping of CaF.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Observation of Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Strong Synthetic Magnetic Field

Extensions of Berry's phase and the quantum Hall effect have led to the discovery of new states of matter with topological properties. Traditionally, this has been achieved using gauge fields created by magnetic fields or spin orbit interactions which couple only to charged particles. For neutral ultracold atoms, synthetic magnetic fields have been created which are strong enough to realize the Harper-Hofstadter model. Despite many proposals and major experimental efforts, so far it has not been possible to prepare the ground state of this system. Here we report the observation of Bose-Einstein condensation for the Harper-Hofstadter Hamiltonian with one-half flux quantum per lattice unit cell. The diffraction pattern of the superfluid state directly shows the momentum distribution on the wavefuction, which is gauge-dependent. It reveals both the reduced symmetry of the vector potential and the twofold degeneracy of the ground state. We explore an adiabatic many-body state preparation protocol via the Mott insulating phase and observe the superfluid ground state in a three-dimensional lattice with strong interactions.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Adiabatic cooling of bosons in lattices to magnetic ordering

We suggest and analyze a new scheme to adiabatically cool bosonic atoms to picokelvin temperatures which should allow the observation of magnetic ordering via superexchange in optical lattices. The starting point is a gapped phase called the spin Mott phase where each site is occupied by one spin-up and one spin-down atom. An adiabatic ramp leads to an xy-ferromagnetic phase. We show that the combination of time-dependent density matrix renormalization group methods with quantum trajectories can be used to fully address possible experimental limitations due to decoherence, and demonstrate that the magnetic correlations are robust for experimentally realizable ramp speeds. Using a microscopic master equation treatment of light scattering in the many-particle system, we test the robustness of adiabatic state preparation against decoherence. Due to different ground-state symmetries, we also find a metastable state with xy-ferromagnetic order if the ramp crosses to regimes where the ground state is a z-ferromagnet. The bosonic spin Mott phase as the initial gapped state for adiabatic cooling has many features in common with a fermionic band insulator, but the use of bosons should enable experiments with substantially lower initial entropies.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Weyl points in three-dimensional optical lattices: synthetic magnetic monopoles in momentum space

We show that Hamiltonians with Weyl points can be realized for ultracold atoms using laser-assisted tunneling in three-dimensional optical lattices. Weyl points are synthetic magnetic monopoles that exhibit a robust, three-dimensional linear dispersion. They are associated with many interesting topological states of matter, such as Weyl semimetals and chiral Weyl fermions. However, Weyl points have yet to be experimentally observed in any system. We show that this elusive goal is well-within experimental reach with an extension of the techniques recently used to obtain the Harper Hamiltonian.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

A simple model for interactions and corrections to the Gross-Pitaevskii Equation

One of the assumptions leading to the Gross-Pitaevskii Equation (GPE) is that the interaction between atom pairs can be written effectively as a δ-function so that the interaction range of the particles is assumed to vanish. A simple model that takes into account the extension of the inter-particle potential is introduced. The correction to the GPE predictions for the energy of a condensate confined by a harmonic trap in the Thomas-Fermi (TF) regime is estimated. Although it is found to be small, we believe that in some situations it can be measured using its dependance on the frequency of the confining trap. Due to the simplicity of the model, it may have a wide range of applications.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Properties of the ground $^3$F$_2$ state and the excited $^3$P$_0$ state of atomic thorium in cold collisions with $^3$He

We measure inelastic collisional cross sections for the ground $^3$F$_2$ state and the excited $^3$P$_0$ state of atomic thorium in cold collisions with $^3$He. We determine for Th ($^3$F$_2$) at 800 mK the ratio $γ\approx 500$ of the momentum-transfer to Zeeman relaxation cross sections for collisions with $^3$He. For Th ($^3$P$_0$), we study electronic inelastic processes and find no quenching even after $10^6$ collisions. We also determine the radiative lifetime of Th ($^3$P$_0$) to be $τ> 130$ ms. This great stability of the metastable state opens up the possibility for further study, including trapping.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Vibrational quenching of the electronic ground state in ThO in cold collisions with $^3$He

We measure the ratio $γ$ of the momentum-transfer to the vibrational quenching cross section for the X ($^1Σ^+$), $ν=1$, $\mathrm{J=0}$ state of molecular thorium monoxide (ThO) in collisions with atomic $^3$He between 800 mK and 2.4 K. We observe indirect evidence for ThO--He van der Waals' complex formation, which has been predicted by theory. We determine the 3-body recombination rate constant $Γ_3$ at 2.4 K, and establish that the binding energy E$_b >$ 4 K.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Spin-orbit coupling and spin Hall effect for neutral atoms without spin-flips

We propose a scheme which realizes spin-orbit coupling and the spin Hall effect for neutral atoms in optical lattices without relying on near resonant laser light to couple different spin states. The spin-orbit coupling is created by modifying the motion of atoms in a spin-dependent way by laser recoil. The spin selectivity is provided by Zeeman shifts created with a magnetic field gradient. Alternatively, a quantum spin Hamiltonian can be created by all-optical means using a period- tripling, spin-dependent superlattice.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Realizing the Harper Hamiltonian with Laser-Assisted Tunneling in Optical Lattices

We experimentally implement the Harper Hamiltonian for neutral particles in optical lattices using laser-assisted tunneling and a potential energy gradient provided by gravity or magnetic field gradients. This Hamiltonian describes the motion of charged particles in strong magnetic fields. Laser-assisted tunneling processes are characterized by studying the expansion of the atoms in the lattice. The band structure of this Hamiltonian should display Hofstadter's butterfly. For fermions, this scheme should realize the quantum Hall effect and chiral edge states.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Deviation from Universality in Collisions of Ultracold $^6$Li$_2$ Molecules

Collisions of $^6$Li$_2$ molecules with free $^6$Li atoms reveal a striking deviation from universal predictions based on long-range van der Waals interactions. Li$_2$ closed-channel molecules are formed in the highest vibrational state near a narrow Feshbach resonance, and decay via two-body collisions with Li$_2$, Li, and Na. For Li$_2$+Li$_2$ and Li$_2$+Na, the decay rates agree with the universal predictions of the quantum Langevin model. In contrast, the rate for Li$_2$+Li is exceptionally small, with an upper bound ten times smaller than the universal prediction. This can be explained by the low density of available decay states in systems of light atoms [G. Quéméner, J.-M. Launay, and P. Honvault, Phys. Rev. A \textbf{75}, 050701 (2007)], for which such collisions have not been studied before.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Pauli paramagnetism of an ideal Fermi gas

We show how to use trapped ultracold atoms to measure the magnetic susceptibility of a two-component Fermi gas. The method is illustrated for a non-interacting gas of $^6$Li, using the tunability of interactions around a wide Feshbach resonances. The susceptibility versus effective magnetic field is directly obtained from the inhomogeneous density profile of the trapped atomic cloud. The wings of the cloud realize the high field limit where the polarization approaches 100%, which is not accessible for an electron gas.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

A Distributed GUI-based Computer Control System for Atomic Physics Experiments

Atomic physics experiments often require a complex sequence of precisely timed computer controlled events. A distributed GUI-based control system designed with such experiments in mind, The Cicero Word Generator, is described. The system makes use of a client-server separation between a user interface for sequence design and a set of output hardware servers. Output hardware servers are designed to use standard National Instruments output cards, but the client-server nature allows this to be extended to other output hardware. Output sequences running on multiple servers and output cards can be synchronized using a shared clock. By using an FPGA-generated variable frequency clock, redundant buffers can be dramatically shortened, and a time resolution of 100ns achieved over effectively arbitrary sequence lengths.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2012

Formation of Ultracold Fermionic NaLi Feshbach Molecules

We describe the formation of fermionic NaLi Feshbach molecules from an ultracold mixture of bosonic 23Na and fermionic 6Li. Precise magnetic field sweeps across a narrow Feshbach resonance at 745 G result in a molecule conversion fraction of 5% for our experimental densities and temperatures, corresponding to a molecule number of 5*10^4. The observed molecular decay ifetime is 1.3 ms after removing free Li and Na atoms from the trap.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Compressibility of an Ultracold Fermi Gas with Repulsive Interactions

Fermi gases with repulsive interactions are characterized by measuring their compressibility as a function of interaction strength. The compressibility is obtained from in-trap density distributions monitored by phase contrast imaging. For interaction parameters k_F a > 0.25 fast decay of the gas prevents the observation of equilibrium profiles. For smaller interaction parameters, the results are adequately described by first-order perturbation theory. A novel phase contrast imaging method compensates for dispersive distortions of the images.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Correlations and Pair Formation in a Repulsively Interacting Fermi Gas

A degenerate Fermi gas is rapidly quenched into the regime of strong effective repulsion near a Feshbach resonance. The spin fluctuations are monitored using speckle imaging and, contrary to several theoretical predictions, the samples remain in the paramagnetic phase for arbitrarily large scattering length. Over a wide range of interaction strengths a rapid decay into bound pairs is observed over times on the order of 10\hbar/E_F, preventing the study of equilibrium phases of strongly repulsive fermions. Our work suggests that a Fermi gas with strong short-range repulsive interactions does not undergo a ferromagnetic phase transition.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗