超冷~(87)Rb原子在二维光晶格中Mott绝缘态的实验实现

超冷原子气体的量子相变是研究量子关联多体物理的核心内容之一.本文采用单一激光光束通过折叠反射产生二维光晶格,通过控制激光偏振产生两种不同的二维光晶格结构,一种是两个独立的一维光晶格构成,另一种是两个方向的一维光晶格互相干涉形成.将超冷~(87)Rb原子装载到二维光晶格中,通过改变光晶格激光功率调控原子在光晶格中的隧穿强度和相互作用强度,观察到~(87)Rb原子从超流态到Mott绝缘态之间的量子相变,并且分析了两种光晶格对量子相变的影响,为今后开展光晶格中强关联物理研究奠定基础.     

中性汞原子磁光阱装载率的优化

量子投影噪声是影响光晶格钟的一个重要参数,提高磁光阱中装载率有利于降低量子投影噪声,可提升光晶格钟的性能.针对实验所用的汞原子单腔磁光阱,本文分析并计算了磁光阱中汞原子受力情况和一维运动规律,在此基础上用随机数方法对磁光阱中汞原子三维装载进行了数值计算,获得了磁光阱中的稳态原子数,研究了磁光阱的冷却激光的光强、失谐量以及磁场梯度等参数对稳态原子数的影响,得出了获得最优装载率的实验参数.涉及的计算方法和结论对汞原子光晶格钟的实验设计具有参考价值.     

Jaynes-Cummings晶格模型和Rabi晶格模型的量子相变

采用平均场近似的方法,分别研究了Jaynes-Cummings晶格模型和Rabi晶格模型的量子相变:Mott绝缘体相-超流体相量子相变,探索了光的聚束-反聚束行为,研究了Kerr非线性作用对量子相变与光子统计特征的影响.研究结果表明,在Rabi晶格模型中二能级原子和光子相互作用强度g和格点之间光子跃迁强度J的增大会使晶格体系从Mott绝缘体相向超流体相转变,同时,光子统计行为由聚束转变为反聚束,而Kerr非线性强度的增大抑制了Mott绝缘体相-超流体相相变,但促进了光子聚束与反聚束之间的转变.     

玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚在中国科学院上海光机所实现

文章报道了在稀薄87Rb原子气体中观测到的玻色 -爱因斯坦凝聚 (BEC)现象 .在四极矩和Ioffe组合磁阱 (QUIC)中装载了 1× 10 8个原子 ,经过 19s蒸发冷却达到了相变条件 .在高原子密度的情况下 ,文章作者观察到了BEC对探测光的衍射光环 .这时降低磁阱势垒和绝热的放开冷原子样品 ,我们拍摄到冷原子和BEC的吸收像 .根据数据拟合满足双高斯分布 ,表明发生了BEC相变 .相变温度约 2 15nK ,凝聚的原子数约为 5× 10 4 .     

原子-分子暗态

Innsbruck大学的物理学家通过使用光缔合实验证明了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚（BEC）的一对原子是相干的。此前，通过调谐两个原子间的磁状态——Feshbach共振——观察到过原子的相干结对（将两个原子锁定在特定的量子关系中）的现象。但是这样得到的分子结合得很弱。相反，光缔合过程（例如使用光将两个原了结合成一个分了）可以形成结合得更牢固的分子态。麻烦的是所用的激光不仅仅能使原子结合成分子，也会因被吸收而使分子分解。     

浅光晶格中量子隧穿现象的实验观测

基于一维水平光晶格的锶原子光晶格钟实验平台,当系统的稳定度和不确定度达到10-18量级以上时,由量子隧穿效应引起的钟频移变得不容忽视.在浅光晶格中,量子隧穿效应会使钟跃迁谱线发生明显的展宽现象,因此,本文通过研究浅光晶格中的量子隧穿现象,为⁸⁷Sr原子光晶格钟系统不确定度的评估奠定基础.本实验在一维⁸⁷Sr原子光晶格钟平台上,利用超稳超窄线宽的698 nm激光激发⁸⁷Sr冷原子~lS₀(|g>)→~3P₀(|e>)跃迁(即钟跃迁),实现了对锶原子分布在特定量子态的制备.在深光晶格中,将原子制备到|e,n_z=1>态后,再绝热地降低光晶格阱深,然后在浅光晶格中,探测激发态的载波-边带可分辨的钟跃迁谱线.从钟跃迁谱线中观测到载波谱线发生了明显的劈裂,表明原子在光晶格相邻格点间产生了明显的量子隧穿现象.通过对光晶格中量子隧穿机制的理解,不仅有利于提高光晶格钟的不确定度,也可为观测光晶格中费米子的自旋轨道耦合效应提供基础数据.     

超冷费米原子气中超流发生的确凿证据

最近，恰好在玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚（BEC）实现10年之后，美国麻省理工-哈佛超冷原子研究中心的Zwierlein等（由Ketterle W领导的小组）首次在超冷^6 Li费米原子气中看到了超流的确凿证据——由涡旋构成的Abrikosov晶格（这类品格，此前已经在旋转的BEC中和超导体中被观察）．这一进展被认为是继BEC之后的又一重大进展．     

光晶格中超冷原子系统的磁激发

囚禁在光学晶格中的旋量凝聚体由于其长的相干性和可调控性,使其成为时下热点的多比特量子计算的潜在候选载体,清楚地了解该体系的自旋和磁性的产生和调控就显得尤为重要.本文主要从理论上回顾了光晶格原子自旋链的磁性的由来和操控手段.从激光冷却原子出发,制备旋量玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体,并装载进光晶格,最后实现原子自旋链,对整个过程的理论研究进行了综述;就如何产生和操控自旋激发进行了详细探讨,其中包括磁孤子的制备;讨论了如何将原子自旋链应用于量子模拟.对光学晶格中的磁激发研究将会对其在冷原子物理、凝聚态物理、量子信息等各方向的应用起指导性作用.     

光晶格中双组分玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚系统的调制不稳定性

利用线性稳定分析的方法,在不满足原子流相等的条件下,对光晶格中双组分玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚原子(BEC)系统的调制不稳定性区域与不同BEC组分的波长和不同的调制波长,以及两组分BEC间相互作用大小之间的关系进行了研究.结果显示,光晶格中双组分BEC系统的调制稳定性的区域在不满足原子流相等的条件下,随不同的波长,不同的调制和相互作用之间的大小会出现了较大的变化.相应结果可为实际应用中如何操控双组分BEC提供有用的信息.     

玻色凝聚的原子自旋链中的非线性自旋波

研究了囚禁在光晶格中的旋量玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体(BEC)形成的原子自旋链中的相干非线性自旋波的激发与调制不稳定性.通过解析分析，得到了调制不稳定性的一般判据以及其对原子自旋的长程耦合的依赖关系.在蓝失谐和红失谐光晶格的情况下，分别具体分析了长程非线性自旋耦合，包括光诱导的和静磁诱导的偶极-偶极相互作用对相干自旋波调制不稳定性的影响.     

Symmetry Breaking Ground States of Bose-Einstein Condensates in 1D Double Square Well and Optical Lattice Well

We investigate the phenomena of symmetry breaking and phase transition in the ground state of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) trapped in a double square well and in an optical lattice well, respectively. By using standing-wave expansion method, we present symmetric and asymmetric ground state solutions of nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) with a symmetric double square well potential for attractive nonlinearity. In particular, we study the ground state wave function's properties by changing the depth of potential and atomic interactions (here we restrict ourselves to the attractive regime). By using the Fourier grid Hamiltonian method, we also reveal a phase transition of BECs trapped in one-dimensional optical lattice potential.     

半无限深势阱中自旋相关玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体的量子反射与干涉

玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体与势垒或势阱的量子反射及干涉是考察宏观物质波奇特物性的最有效途径之一.利用传播子方法和基于冷原子实验广泛采用的飞行时间吸收成像方案,研究自旋相关玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体在半无限深势阱中的反射和干涉演化动力学,得到了自旋相关的凝聚体波函数的严格解析解.结果表明,当自旋相关光晶格关闭后,非局域于不同格点中相同自旋态的物质波在自由膨胀过程中发生量子干涉,形成了对比度明显的干涉条纹.与此同时,扩张的自旋相关物质波包与半无限深势阱壁相遇发生量子反射,反射波与入射波产生二重干涉,在密度分布两边对称的局部位置出现剧烈的振荡,干涉条纹表现出显著的调制效应.分析讨论了自旋态、相干输运距离和相对相位等因素对干涉条纹的影响.该研究有助于促进对自旋相关凝聚体宏观量子特性的认识,为深入检验自旋相关光晶格中凝聚体干涉的理论模型和物理机理提供依据和新方案.     

Quantum phase transition of cold atoms trapped in optical lattices

We review our recent theoretical advances in phase transition of cold atoms in optical lattices, such as triangular lattice, honeycomb lattice, and Kagomé lattice. By employing the new developed numerical methods called dynamical cluster approximation and cellular dynamical mean-field theory, the properties in different phases of cold atoms in optical lattices are studied, such as density of states, Fermi surface and double occupancy. On triangular lattice, a reentrant behavior of phase translation line between Fermi liquid state and pseudogap state is found due to the Kondo effect. We find the system undergoes a second order Mott transition from a metallic state into a Mott insulator state on honeycomb lattice and triangular Kagomé lattice. The stability of quantum spin Hall phase towards interaction on honeycomb lattice with spin-orbital coupling is systematically discussed. And we investigate the transition from quantum spin Hall insulator to normal insulator in Kagomé lattice which includes a nearest-neighbor intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and a trimerized Hamiltonian. In addition, we propose the experimental protocols to observe these phase transition of cold atoms in optical lattices.     

Quantum phase transition of two-component Bose–Einstein condensates in optical lattices

In this Letter we study the superfluid–Mott-insulator (SMI) phase transition of two-component Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) in an optical lattice. The analytic exciation energy spectrum is obtained by means of Bogoliubov transformation and hence the SMI phase transition condition is determined explicitly. Moreover, the characteristics of superfluid phase are explained from the energy spectrum.     

Superfluid-insulator transition in a moving system of interacting bosons

We analyze the stability of superfluid currents in a system of strongly interacting ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. We show that such a system undergoes a dynamic, irreversible phase transition at a critical phase gradient that depends on the interaction strength between atoms. At commensurate filling, the phase boundary continuously interpolates between the classical modulation instability of a weakly interacting condensate and the equilibrium quantum phase transition into a Mott insulator state at which the critical current vanishes. We argue that quantum fluctuations smear the transition boundary in low dimensional systems. Finally we discuss the implications to realistic experiments.     

Fermionic atoms in a three dimensional optical lattice: observing Fermi surfaces, dynamics, and interactions

We have studied interacting and noninteracting quantum degenerate Fermi gases in a three-dimensional optical lattice. We directly image the Fermi surface of the atoms in the lattice by turning off the optical lattice adiabatically. Because of the confining potential, gradual filling of the lattice transforms the system from a normal state into a band insulator. The dynamics of the transition from a band insulator to a normal state is studied, and the time scale is measured to be an order of magnitude larger than the tunneling time in the lattice. Using a Feshbach resonance, we increase the interaction between atoms in two different spin states and dynamically induce a coupling between the lowest energy bands. We observe a shift of this coupling with respect to the Feshbach resonance in free space which is anticipated for strongly confined atoms.     

Ferromagnetism in a lattice of Bose-Einstein condensates

We show that an ensemble of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates confined in a one-dimensional optical lattice can undergo a ferromagnetic phase transition and spontaneous magnetization arises due to the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction. This phenomenon is analogous to ferromagnetism in solid state physics, but occurs with bosons instead of fermions.     

Superfluid to Mott-insulator transition in a one-dimensional optical lattice

Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) of sodium atoms are transferred into one-dimensional (1D) optical lattice potentials, formed by two laser beams with a wavelength of 1064 nm, in a shallow optical trap. The phase coherence of the condensate in the lattice potential is studied by changing the lattice depth. A qualitative change in behavior of the BEC is observed at a lattice depth of ～ 13.7 E_r, where the quantum gas undergoes a transition from a superfluid state to a state that lacks well-to-well phase coherence.     

Dissipation-induced topological phase transition and periodic-driving-induced photonic topological state transfer in a small optomechanical lattice

We propose a scheme to investigate the topological phase transition and the topological state transfer based on the small optomechanical lattice under the realistic parameters regime.We find that the optomechanical lattice can be equivalent to a topologically nontrivial Su-Schrieffer Heeger(SSH)model via designing the effective optomechanical coupling.Especially,the optomechanical lattice experiences the phase transition between topologically nontrivial SSH phase and topologically trivial SSH phase by controlling the decay of the cavity field and the opto mechanical coupling.We stress that the to pological phase transition is mainly induced by the decay of the cavity field,which is counter-intuitive since the dissipation is usually detrimental to the system.Also,we investigate the photonic state transfer between the two cavity fields via the topologically protected edge channel based on the small optomechanical lattice.We find that the quantum st ate transfer assisted by the topological zero energy mode can be achieved via implying the external lasers with the periodical driving amplitudes into the cavity fields.Our scheme provides the fundamental and the insightful explanations towards the mapping of the photonic topological insulator based on the micro-nano optomechanical quantum optical platform.     

Signature of Mott-insulator transition with ultracold fermions in a one-dimensional optical lattice

Using the exact Bethe ansatz solution of the Hubbard model and Luttinger liquid theory, we investigate the density profiles and collective modes of one-dimensional ultracold fermions confined in an optical lattice with a harmonic trapping potential. We determine a generic phase diagram in terms of a characteristic filling factor and a dimensionless coupling constant. The collective oscillations of the atomic mass density, a technique that is commonly used in experiments, provide a signature of the quantum phase transition from the metallic phase to the Mott-insulator phase. A detailed experimental implementation is proposed.