No Arabic abstract
Recently, we have experimentally demonstrated a continuous loading mechanism for an optical dipole trap from a guided atomic beam [1]. The observed evolution of the number of atoms and temperature in the trap are consequences of the unusual trap geometry. In the present paper, we develop a model based on a set of rate equations to describe the loading dynamics of such a mechanism. We consider the collision statistics in the non-uniform trap potential that leads to twodimensional evaporation. The comparison between the resulting computations and experimental data allows to identify the dominant loss process and suggests ways to enhance the achievable steady-state atom number. Concerning subsequent evaporative cooling, we find that the possibility of controlling axial and radial confinement independently allows faster evaporation ramps compared to single beam optical dipole traps.
We have designed and realized magnetic trapping geometries for ultracold atoms based on permanent magnetic films. Magnetic chip based experiments give a high level of control over trap barriers and geometric boundaries in a compact experimental setup. These structures can be used to study quantum spin physics in a wide range of energies and length scales. By introducing defects into a triangular lattice, kagome and hexagonal lattice structures can be created. Rectangular lattices and (quasi-)one-dimensional structures such as ladders and diamond chain trapping potentials have also been created. Quantum spin models can be studied in all these geometries with Rydberg atoms, which allow for controlled interactions over several micrometers. We also present some nonperiodic geometries where the length scales of the traps are varied over a wide range. These tapered structures offer another way to transport large numbers of atoms adiabatically into subwavelength traps and back.
We present an effective and fast (few microseconds) procedure for transferring ultra-cold atoms from the ground state in a harmonic trap into the desired bands of an optical lattice. Our shortcut method is a designed pulse sequence where the time duration and the interval in each step are fully optimized in order to maximize robustness and fidelity of the final state with respect to the target state. The atoms can be prepared in a single band with even or odd parity, and superposition states of different bands can be prepared and manipulated. Furthermore, we extend this idea to the case of two-dimensional or three-dimensional optical lattices where the energies of excited states are degenerate. We experimentally demonstrate various examples and show very good agreement with the theoretical model. Efficient shortcut methods will find applications in the preparation of quantum systems, in quantum information processing, in precise measurement and as a starting point to investigate dynamics in excited bands.
Low intensity white light was used to increase the loading rate of $^{87}$Rb atoms into a vapor cell magneto-optic trap by inducing non-thermal desorption of Rb atoms from the stainless steel walls of the vapor cell. An increased Rb partial pressure reached a new equilibrium value in less than 10 seconds after switching on the broadband light source. After the source was turned off, the partial pressure returned to its previous value in $1/e$ times as short as 10 seconds.
One important factor which determines efficiency of loading cold atoms into an optical dipole trap from a magneto-optical trap is the distance between the trap centers. By studying this efficiency for various optical trap depths (2--110 mK) we find that for optimum dipole trap loading, longitudinal displacements up to 15 mm are necessary. An explanation for this observation is presented and compared with other work and a simple analytical formula is derived for the optimum distance between the trap centers.
We present measurements of interspecies thermalization between ultracold samples of $^{133}$Cs and either $^{174}$Yb or $^{170}$Yb. The two species are trapped in a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap and $^{133}$Cs is sympathetically cooled by Yb. We extract effective interspecies thermalization cross sections by fitting the thermalization measurements to a rate equation model, giving $sigma_{mathrm{Cs^{174}Yb}} = left(5 pm 2right) times 10^{-13} , mathrm{cm^{2}}$ and $sigma_{mathrm{Cs^{170}Yb}} = left(18 pm 8right) times 10^{-13} , mathrm{cm^{2}}$. We perform quantum scattering calculations of the thermalization cross sections and optimize the CsYb interaction potential to reproduce the measurements. We predict scattering lengths for all isotopic combinations of Cs and Yb. We also demonstrate the independent production of $^{174}$Yb and $^{133}$Cs Bose-Einstein condensates using the same optical dipole trap, an important step towards the realization of a quantum-degenerate mixture of the two species.