Hannover 2013 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 8: Micromechanic oscillators II
Q 8.2: Talk
Monday, March 18, 2013, 14:15–14:30, F 142
Cavity-Enhanced Long-Distance Coupling of an Atomic Ensemble to a Micromechanical Membrane — •Andreas Jöckel1, Maria Korppi1, Aline Faber1, Matthew T. Rakher1, Berit Vogell2, Kai Stannigel2, Peter Zoller2, Klemens Hammerer3, and Philipp Treutlein1 — 1Departement Physik, Universität Basel, Schweiz — 2Universität Innsbruck, Österreich — 3Universität Hannover, Deutschland
We present first experimental results on creating a hybrid quantum system where a dielectric membrane inside an optical cavity is coupled via a light field to a distant ultracold atomic ensemble trapped in free space. The coupling is mediated by a laser beam that couples to the cavity and creates an optical lattice for the atoms, thus coupling to the atomic center of mass motion. This coupling is enhanced by the cavity finesse as well as the square root of the number of atoms.
The system can be operated in two modes, where one can either observe coherent dynamics between the systems, or switch on a strong dissipation by cooling the atoms, thereby sympathetically cooling the membrane. The cooling scheme does not require resolved sidebands for the cavity, which relaxes a constraint present in standard optomechanical cavity cooling.
In a previous experiment [PRL 107, 223001(2011)] without a cavity we could demonstrate the bi-directional coupling of rubidium atoms to a SiN mechanical membrane oscillator. With the new system a substantial increase of the interaction is expected and even ground state cooling of a cryogenically pre-cooled membrane should be possible.