Düsseldorf 2007 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 62: Poster Ultrakalte Atome
Q 62.16: Poster
Thursday, March 22, 2007, 16:30–18:30, Poster C
Magnetic coupling of a BEC to a nanomechanical resonator — •David Hunger1,2, Stephan Camerer1,2, Daniel König1, Jörg Kotthaus1, Jakob Reichel3, Theodor Hänsch1,2, and Philipp Treutlein1,2 — 1LMU, München, Germany — 2MPQ, Garching, Germany — 3Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel de l’ENS, Paris, France
The experimental fusion of quantum optics and condensed-matter systems is a new, promising research field. Atomchip experiments seem particularly suitable to match the challenges of this convergence due to their high degree of control over atoms close to surfaces. A first milestone is to show that a designed, controllable interaction between small atom clouds and nano-structured solid state systems can be realized.
We introduce our experiment, which aims at coupling the thermal oscillations of a nanomechanical beam resonator to the spin of a nearby Bose-Einstein condensate via a magnetic interaction. The coupling is mediated by a small island of ferromagnetic material on the cantilever. In this way, the resonator motion causes an oscillating magnetic field that can drive atomic spin-flip transitions. If the eigenfrequency of the beam is resonant with transitions to untrapped magnetic sublevels, observable trap loss occurs. A detailed simulation of the system we are implementing yields a displacement sensitivity of ∼ 5·10−14m/√Hz, close to the quantum limit of the oscillator1 and shows that signatures of coherent coupling dynamics can be observable. As outlook we consider a regime, where the backaction of the atoms on the resonator can lead to significant cooling of the mechanical mode.
[1] M. LaHaye et al, Science 304, 74 (2004)