Mainz 2017 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 58: Quantum Gases: Fermions III

Q 58.8: Talk

Friday, March 10, 2017, 16:15–16:30, P 204

Thermoelectric effects at an atomic quantum point contact — •Laura Corman, Dominik Husmann, Martin Lebrat, Samuel Häusler, Jean-Philippe Brantut, and Tilman Esslinger — Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland

Thermoelectricity describes the phenomenon by which a temperature gradient triggers the appearance of a chemical potential gradient and vice versa. It is of great technological importance for cooling materials (Peltier effect) or power generation (Seebeck effect), but it is also a fundamental probe of the physics of the medium in which the energy and particle currents are created. Thermoelectric effects have already been studied with cold atoms using a two-dimensional constriction [1].

In this presentation, we experimentally study those effects on our mesoscopic transport setup using ultracold fermionic lithium. These effects are affected by the properties of both the constriction and the reservoirs. First, we reduce the dimensionality of the constriction: two temperature imbalanced reservoirs are connected via a one to few mode channel, which is similar to the condensed matter quantum point contact systems. In addition, we can vary the interaction strength to reach the strongly interacting, unitary regime where the evolution of particle and energy currents are strongly modified compared to the weakly interacting case.

[1] J.P. Brantut, et al. "A thermoelectric heat engine with ultracold atoms." Science 342(6159), 713-715 (2013).