Hannover 2010 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 28: Ultra Cold Atoms, Ions and BEC II (with A)
Q 28.5: Talk
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 11:30–11:45, F 303
Two-way conversations between cold atoms and semiconductors — •Thomas Judd1,2, Robin Scott2, German Sinuco2, Tom Montgomery2, Andrew Martin3, Peter Krüger2, and Mark Fromhold2 — 1University of Tübingen, Germany — 2University of Nottingham, UK — 3University of Melbourne, Australia
There has been significant work in the past few years on hybrid devices which combine cold atoms with solid state structures. The hope is to create devices which combine the key advantages of both systems - the purity of a quantum coherent atom cloud, and the versatility of microchips - to study fundamental physics and further quantum technologies. To date there has been much success in manipulating cold atoms with microchips and semiconductors to create a measurable signal in the atom cloud. However, it has not been possible to perform the reverse procedure of using cold atoms to create a measurable signal in a solid state device. If this two-way coupling can be achieved, a range of possibilities open up such as long-term quantum memory chips. Here we use simulations to show that Fresnel zone plates could assist these efforts by strongly and coherently focusing ultracold atoms onto a semiconductor chip with a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The atoms are shown to deplete the 2DEG, thereby strongly increasing its resistivity to measurable levels. The technique provides a solution to the long standing problem of short-range atom focusing while at the same time opening the door to a new form of non-destructive lithography which can create electronic components on a 50nm scale.