Non-Abelian adiabatic geometric transformations in a cold strontium gas

Area of Science:

• Quantum physics
• Atomic physics
• Quantum optics

Background:

• Topology, geometry, and gauge fields are crucial in quantum physics phenomena like the Aharonov-Bohm effect and topological insulators.
• Topological protection is vital for quantum information processing and fault-tolerant quantum computation.
• System properties depend on the symmetry group of the underlying holonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To study laser-cooled strontium atoms coupled to laser fields via a resonant tripod scheme.
• To realize and demonstrate non-Abelian SU(2) geometrical transformations acting on dark states.
• To investigate the impact of imprinted gauge fields on atomic internal state dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a laser-cooled gas of strontium atoms.
• Employed a four-level resonant tripod laser scheme.
• Manipulated relative phases of tripod beams to induce geometrical transformations.

Main Results:

• Successfully realized non-Abelian SU(2) geometrical transformations on the system's dark states.
• Demonstrated the non-Abelian character of these transformations.
• Revealed the influence of imprinted gauge fields on internal atomic state dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The study establishes a platform for exploring non-Abelian gauge fields in atomic systems.
• The imprinted gauge field leads to a novel thermometry method based on atomic interferometry.
• This research has implications for quantum simulation and quantum information science.