Professor Christopher Foot

Abstract:

We consider the stability of systems subjected to periodic parametric driving in the context of ions confined by oscillating electric fields. The behavior of these systems can be understood in terms of a pseudopotential approximation and resonances arising from parametric excitation. We investigate the key properties of a way of operating a linear Paul trap with two radio frequencies that simultaneously confines two species with extremely different charge-to-mass ratios. The theoretical calculations have been verified by molecular dynamics simulations and normal modes analysis.

Abstract:

We investigate cold bosonic impurity atoms trapped in a vortex lattice formed by condensed bosons of another species. We describe the dynamics of the impurities by a bosonic Hubbard model containing occupation-dependent parameters to capture the effects of strong impurity-impurity interactions. These include both a repulsive direct interaction and an attractive effective interaction mediated by the BEC. The occupation dependence of these two competing interactions drastically affects the Hubbard model phase diagram, including causing the disappearance of some Mott lobes.