Hannover 2010 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 50: Micromechanical Oscillators I

Q 50.1: Talk

Thursday, March 11, 2010, 15:15–15:30, A 320

Coupling of ultracold atoms and a mechanical oscillator via an optical lattice — •Stephan Camerer, Maria Korppi, David Hunger, Theodor W. Hänsch und Philipp Treutlein — LMU München und MPQ Garching

We report on the status of an experiment which aims at coupling a single mode of a mechanical oscillator to the motion of trapped atoms. The atoms are trapped in a red detuned 1D optical lattice provided by a laser beam, which is retroreflected at the mechanical oscillators' surface. Motion of the mechanical oscillator causes shaking of the lattice and thus couples to the atomic motion. On the other hand, the motion of the atoms leads to a redistribution of photons between the two running waves forming the lattice and is thus imprinted on the power of the laser beam that is retroreflected at the oscillator. The resulting modulation of the radiation pressure constitutes a backaction of the atoms onto the mechanical oscillator. The goal is to study the dynamics of the coupled system that may be employed to cool a single mode of the mechanical oscillator.