Professor Christopher Foot

Abstract:

We present the first experimental demonstration of a multiple-radiofrequency dressed potential for the configurable magnetic confinement of ultracold atoms. We load cold \Rb{87} atoms into a double well potential with an adjustable barrier height, formed by three radiofrequencies applied to atoms in a static quadrupole magnetic field. Our multiple-radiofrequency approach gives precise control over the double well characteristics, including the depth of individual wells and the height of the barrier, and enables reliable transfer of atoms between the available trapping geometries. We have characterised the multiple-radiofrequency dressed system using radiofrequency spectroscopy, finding good agreement with the eigenvalues numerically calculated using Floquet theory. This method creates trapping potentials that can be reconfigured by changing the amplitudes, polarizations and frequencies of the applied dressing fields, and easily extended with additional dressing frequencies.

Abstract:

Methods to manipulate the individual constituents of an ultracold quantum gas mixture are essential tools for a number of applications, such as the direct quantum simulation of impurity physics. We investigate a scheme in which species-selective control is achieved using magnetic potentials dressed with multiple radiofrequencies, exploiting the different Landé gF-factors of the constituent atomic species. We describe a mixture dressed with two frequencies, where atoms are confined in harmonic potentials with a controllable degree of overlap between the two atomic species. This is then extended to a four radiofrequency scheme in which a double well potential for one species is overlaid with a single well for the other. The discussion is framed with parameters that are suitable for a 85Rb and 87Rb mixture, but is readily generalised to other combinations.