Hannover 2016 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 11: Poster: Quantum Optics and Photonics I

Q 11.1: Poster

Monday, February 29, 2016, 16:30–19:00, Empore Lichthof

Towards an atomic erbium Bose-Einstein condensate generated in a quasistatic dipole trap — •Daniel Babik, Jens Ulitzsch, Henning Brammer, Roberto Röll, and Martin Weitz — Institut für Angewandte Physik, Wegelerstraße 8, 53115 Bonn

We report on progress in an ongoing experiment directed at the generation of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate of erbium atoms in a quasistatic optical dipole trap. In alkali atoms with their S-ground state configuration in far detuned laser fields with detuning above the upper state fine structure splitting the trapping potential is determined by the scalar electronic polarizability. In contrast for an erbium atomic quantum gas with its L > 0 electronic ground state, the trapping potential for inner-shell transitions also for far detuned dissipation-less trapping laser fields becomes dependent on the internal atomic state (i.e. spin). Therefore it is expected to reach much longer coherence times with atomic erbium in spin-dependent optical lattice experiments and for far detuned Raman manipulation in comparison with alkali atoms.

In our Bonn experiment an erbium atomic beam is decelerated by a Zeeman-slower using radiation tuned to the strong 400.91   nm transition of atomic erbium. Following work by the Innsbruck group, we then trap erbium atoms in a narrow-line magneto-optical trap using the atomic transition at 582.84   nm. In the next experimental step, we plan to load erbium atoms into the quasistatic dipole potential generated by a focused beam near 10.6   µ m wavelength and here cool atoms evaporatively to quantum degeneracy.