Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
11:21
Cooling an Optically Trapped Ultracold Fermi Gas by Periodical Driving
Published on: March 30, 2017
7.7K
Spatial Bloch Oscillations of a Quantum Gas in a "Beat-Note" Superlattice
L Masi1, T Petrucciani2, G Ferioli1
1CNR Istituto Nazionale Ottica, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Physical Review Letters
|July 23, 2021
Summary
Researchers created a stable optical lattice for ultracold atoms with large site separations. This new potential enables precise control of atomic samples for advanced quantum technologies.
Area of Science:
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Quantum Simulation
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Standard optical lattices are crucial for trapping ultracold atoms.
- Achieving large site separations in optical lattices often compromises stability.
- New methods are needed for stable, large-scale atomic manipulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally realize a novel optical lattice with large, stable site separations.
- To demonstrate the potential's suitability for ultracold atom manipulation.
- To explore applications in quantum simulation and atom-based technologies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two collinear lasers with commensurate wavelengths and retroreflection to generate a superlattice potential.
- Created a periodic "beat-note" profile with amplitude modulation for effective potential minima.
- Studied Bloch oscillations of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with negligible interactions under an applied force.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated an optical lattice enabling arbitrarily large site separations while maintaining stability.
- Observed stable Bloch oscillations of a BEC between sites separated by 10 microns for over one second.
- Demonstrated the high stability and controllability of the novel optical lattice potential.
Conclusions:
- The novel optical lattice provides stable, large spatial separations for ultracold atoms.
- This technology is ideal for coherent manipulation of atomic samples.
- Potential applications include trapped-atom interferometers and quantum simulators.
Related Concept Videos
02:32The de Broglie Wavelength
30.9K
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
30.9K
01:04Oscillations about an Equilibrium Position
6.1K
Stability is an important concept in oscillation. If an equilibrium point is stable, a slight disturbance of an object that is initially at the stable equilibrium point will cause the object to oscillate around that point. For an unstable equilibrium point, if the object is disturbed slightly, it will not return to the equilibrium point. There are three conditions for equilibrium points—stable, unstable, and half-stable. A half-stable equilibrium point is also unstable, but is named so...
6.1K
01:28Standing Waves in a Cavity
1.1K
A household microwave and lasers are examples of standing electromagnetic waves in a cavity. When two conducting metal plates are placed parallel at the nodal planes, it creates a cavity where standing waves are formed. The cavity between the two planes is analogous to a stretched string held at the points x = 0 and x = L. Here, the distance 'L' between the two planes must be an integer multiple of half of the wavelength. The wavelengths that satisfy this condition are given by:
1.1K
01:07Damped Oscillations
6.3K
In the real world, oscillations seldom follow true simple harmonic motion. A system that continues its motion indefinitely without losing its amplitude is termed undamped. However, friction of some sort usually dampens the motion, so it fades away or needs more force to continue. For example, a guitar string stops oscillating a few seconds after being plucked. Similarly, one must continually push a swing to keep a child swinging on a playground.
Although friction and other non-conservative...
Although friction and other non-conservative...
6.3K
01:30Oscillations In An LC Circuit
2.6K
An idealized LC circuit of zero resistance can oscillate without any source of emf by shifting the energy stored in the circuit between the electric and magnetic fields. In such an LC circuit, if the capacitor contains a charge q before the switch is closed, then all the energy of the circuit is initially stored in the electric field of the capacitor. This energy is given by
2.6K
01:11Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency
2.0K
The earth's gravitational field produces a 'twisting force' perpendicular to the angular momentum of a spinning mass (such as a spinning top) that causes the mass to 'wobble' around the gravitational field axis in a phenomenon called precession. Similarly, the magnetic moment (μ) of a spinning nucleus precesses due to an external magnetic field directed along the z-axis. The precession of the magnetic moment vector about the magnetic field is called Larmor precession,...
2.0K