Ultracold quantum matter

Abstract:

We have investigated the properties of a standing-wave configuration of Gaussian laser beams which gives a linear array of three-dimensional atomic dipole traps. This is achieved by two counter-propagating waves with different beam waists so that at the nodes the field intensity of the standing wave is not completely cancelled at all radial positions across the beam. This creates an intensity dip in both the axial and radial directions that can be used as an atomic trap for blue detuning of the light. We simulated the behaviour of two level atoms in this trap using dressed state Monte-Carlo method and in this paper we show that it gives good trapping when the residual intensity at the bottom of the traps is small. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Abstract:

We demonstrate a novel type of cesium atom interferometer which uses a combination of a microwave ground state transition and momentum changing adiabatic transfer light pulses as the atom optical components. It is the first atom interferometer where the mechanism which forms the internal superposition plays no part in spatially splitting the atomic wave packets. The coherence length of the atom source is found by measuring the spatial correlation between the two interferometer arms. This allows us to determine the temperature of the atomic ensemble. © 1998 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

We suggest an atomic dipole trap which is produced by two counter-propagating Gaussian beams with different waists. This set-up creates an intensity dip in axial and radial directions near the node of the standing wave and can be used as an atom trap for blue detuning of the light. We simulated the behaviour of two level atoms in this trap using the dressed state Monte-Carlo method and we show that it gives a goad trapping when the residual intensity at the bottom of traps is small.

Abstract:

We have simulated the evaporative cooling of a dilute gas of Bose particles including quantum statistics using a Monte Carlo method. This approach can model situations which are far away from quasiequilibrium such as occur during forced evaporative cooling. We have also simulated the dynamical formation of Bose-Einstein condensate for homogeneous and inhomogeneous Bose gases under the random-phase approximation. It was found that the rate of accumulation of Bose particles into low-energy states through collisions is increased by forced evaporation; and a macroscopic population at ground state can be reached at a time scale characterized by classical collision time for an inhomogeneous gas in a harmonic potential. We present the results of simulations for the evaporative cooling and formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate in one-, two-, and three-dimensional position cuts and energy cuts. © 1997 The American Physical Society.