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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving

Published on: March 30, 2017

Ideal mean-field transition in a modulated cold atom system.

Myoung-Sun Heo¹, Yonghee Kim, Kihwan Kim

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

|January 15, 2011

Summary

An atomic system in a modulated optical trap exhibits ideal symmetry breaking, transitioning in time with the modulation. This phenomenon arises from interactions and fluctuations, fully explained by a new microscopic theory.

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Area of Science:

Atomic physics
Quantum optics
Condensed matter physics

Background:

Symmetry breaking is crucial in physics.
Understanding transitions in driven quantum systems is key.
Optical traps allow precise control of atomic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate symmetry breaking in a modulated optical trap.
To develop a microscopic theory for observed critical phenomena.
To explain anomalous fluctuations in the symmetry-broken phase.

Main Methods:

Experimental observation of an atomic system in a periodically modulated optical trap.
Development of a full microscopic theory.
Analysis of critical phenomena and nonequilibrium fluctuations.

Main Results:

Demonstration of an ideal mean-field symmetry-breaking transition.
Symmetry breaking observed with respect to time translation.
Theory successfully describes experimental observations, including anomalous fluctuations.

Conclusions:

The atomic system exhibits ideal symmetry breaking due to long-range interactions and nonequilibrium fluctuations.
The developed microscopic theory accurately captures the critical phenomena.
The study provides a comprehensive understanding of driven quantum phase transitions.