Berlin 2014 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 32: Poster: Quantum gases, ultracold atoms and molecules

Q 32.18: Poster

Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 16:30–18:30, Spree-Palais

Experimental apparatus for long-range interacting potassium-40 quantum gases — •Silva Mezinska, Stephan Helmrich, Alexander Sayer, Christoph Hofmann, Valentin Ivannikov, and Shannon Whitlock — Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Germany

We present a new experimental apparatus aimed at studying strongly correlated phases of ultracold quantum gases in low-dimensional geometries. By tailoring the interactions between ultracold atoms in optical traps we aim to create new states of matter and shed new light on many-body quantum effects beyond what has been possible in traditional condensed-matter and cold-atom systems.

The experimental setup consists of an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber, which includes an electrode structure for controlling electric fields and integrated optics for single-atom sensitive imaging. We will trap potassium-40 atoms in an optical dipole trap, loaded by 2D and 3D magneto-optical traps. To introduce long-range interactions between the atoms we plan to weakly admix Rydberg-state character via laser coupling ('Rydberg-dressing'). Our main goal is to understand the role of quantum correlations on new phases of matter involving coupled 1D and 2D systems of fermions (bilayer and biwire systems). Ultimately, these experiments will provide the foundation to explore the full quantum phase structure of strongly-correlated quantum systems with long-range interactions.