Hannover 2013 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 45: Quantum gases: Bosons II

Q 45.6: Vortrag

Donnerstag, 21. März 2013, 12:15–12:30, F 342

A novel experiment for coupling quantum gases to various optical cavities — •Julian Leonard, Moonjoo Lee, Leigh Martin, Christian Zosel, Tilman Esslinger, and Tobias Donner — Institut for Quantum Electronics

We present the design and current status of a novel experimental system aiming at coupling a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) to optical cavities. At the heart of the apparatus is an interchangeable science platform which can house the cavities as well as a lens for high-resolution imaging of the atoms. This platform can be rapidly inserted into the vacuum chamber through a loadlock chamber, from which it is transferred into a vibration-isolated docking station. There we have excellent optical, thermal and electrical access from the outside while maintaining high stability and reproducibility in position.

The BEC is generated from a cloud of laser-cooled 87-Rb atoms which is first loaded into a hybrid trap and then optically transported into the cavity setup. Here it is transferred into a crossed dipole trap and evaporatively cooled down to quantum degeneracy.

This novel approach opens up the possibility to use a single apparatus to study the coupling of quantum gases with various cavity geometries such as crossed cavities, multimode cavities or setups involving mechanical membranes. With these systems, we aim to explore the dynamics of ultracold atoms in self-generated optical potentials, where novel phases of matter and light are predicted to appear.