Scattering models for ultracold atoms

We present a review of scattering models that can be used to describe the low-energy behavior of identical bosonic atoms. In the simplest models, the only degrees of freedom are atoms in the same spin state. More elaborate models have other degrees of freedom, such as atoms in other spin states or diatomic molecules. The parameters of the scattering models are specified by giving the S-wave phase shifts for scattering of atoms in the spin state of primary interest. The models are formulated as local quantum field theories and the renormalization of their coupling constants is determined. Some of the parameters can be constrained by renormalizability or by the absence of negative-norm states. The Green’s functions that describe the evolution of two-atom states are determined analytically. They are used to determine the T-matrix elements for atom-atom scattering and the binding energies of diatomic molecules. The scattering models all exhibit universal behavior as the scattering length in a specific spin state becomes large.     

弹性波由吸收圆柱的散射

研究了弹性纵波照射粘弹圆柱产生的稳态散射,导出了简洁的散射场解析表达式,数值计算了吸收和非吸收圆柱散射作的散射截面。结果表明,对高速圆柱散射体,散射截面随Ka增加是光滑振荡变化的,吸收圆柱和非吸收圆柱散射截面特征类似。对低速圆柱散射体,振荡变化的散射截面上叠加有一系列狭窄峰,散射圆柱和周围介质的对应速度差别越大,这种狭窄峰也越多,越靠近极值附近,这些狭窄峰越密,圆柱存在吸收衰减时将降低这些狭窄峰。当散射圆柱和周围介质对应的纵波速度和横波速度差别很小时,散射截面为非规则的小幅度的谐振。     

Coherent excitation of Rydberg atoms in an ultracold gas

We demonstrate two schemes for the coherent excitation of Rydberg atoms in an ultracold gas of rubidium atoms employing the three-level ladder system 5S_1/2-5P_3/2-n?_j. In the first approach rapid adiabatic passage with pulsed laser fields yields Rydberg excitation probabilities of 90% in the center of the laser focus. In a second experiment two-photon Rydberg excitation with continuous-wave fields is applied which results in Rabi oscillations between the ground and Rydberg state. The experiments represent a prerequisite for the control of interactions in ultracold Rydberg gases and the application of ultracold Rydberg gases for quantum information processing.     

Spontaneous evolution of rydberg atoms into an ultracold plasma

We have observed the spontaneous evolution of a dense sample of Rydberg atoms into an ultracold plasma, in spite of the fact that each of the atoms may initially be bound by up to 100 cm(-1). When the atoms are initially bound by 70 cm(-1), this evolution occurs when most of the atoms are translationally cold, <1 mK, but a small fraction, approximately 1%, is at room temperature. Ionizing collisions between hot and cold Rydberg atoms and blackbody photoionization produce an essentially stationary cloud of cold ions, which traps electrons produced later. The trapped electrons rapidly collisionally ionize the remaining cold Rydberg atoms to form a cold plasma.     

Scattering of atoms and molecules by an electromagnetic field

The scattering of atoms and molecules by the force of stimulated light pressure appearing in a standing wave is considered. It is shown that short (10^-8s) light pulses of tunable lasers can deviate resonance atoms through an angle of about 5°. A high selectivity of scattering is retained in a standing wave even in conditions of great saturation. Therefore the considered effect can be used for the separation of isotopes.     

Spectroscopy of ultracold atoms by periodic lattice modulations

We present a nonperturbative analysis of a new experimental technique for probing ultracold bosons in an optical lattice by periodic lattice depth modulations. This is done using the time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group method. We find that sharp energy absorption peaks are not unique to the Mott insulating phase at commensurate filling but also exist for superfluids at incommensurate filling. For strong interactions, the peak structure provides an experimental measure of the interaction strength. Moreover, the peak height of the peaks at Planck's omega > or approximately 2U can be employed as a measure of the incommensurability of the system.     

Inserting single Cs atoms into an ultracold Rb gas

We report on the controlled insertion of individual Cs atoms into an ultracold Rb gas at ≈400 nK. This requires one to combine the techniques necessary for cooling, trapping and manipulating single laser cooled atoms around the Doppler temperature with an experiment to produce ultracold degenerate quantum gases. In our approach, both systems are prepared in separated traps and then combined. Our results pave the way for coherent interaction between a quantum gas and a single or few neutral atoms of another species.     

Low-noise detection of ultracold atoms

We have demonstrated a new technique for detecting ultracold atoms. A balanced detection technique was used to reduce laser-induced detection noise in conjunction with modulation-transfer spectroscopy to distinguish cold atoms from a thermal cloud. Using this technique, we have achieved signal-to-noise ratios in excess of 2000:1.     

Scattering of atoms by light

This review discusses the latest theoretical and experimental achievements in the resonant light pressure acting on the translational motion of atoms. Alongside with the effects due to the spontaneous light pressure (atomic deflection, velocity bunching, cooling), various manifestations of the effects of induced light pressure are considered in detail. This paper provides the theory and experiments of atoms scattering by a standing light wave under the conditions of coherent and non-coherent interaction, diffraction and interference of atomic beams. The problems where atomic motion along two trajectories and Landau-Zener transitions between them are essential, are studied. The kinetic phenomena (scattering, cooling, channeling) due to the motion of the particles exposed to gradient force and also friction and diffusion caused by spontaneous emission are considered. The influence of the recoil effect under spontaneous emission of atoms on non-linear polarization phenomena is discussed.     

Quantum transport of ultracold atoms in an accelerating optical potential

Received: 8 July 1997     

Formation of Rydberg atoms in an expanding ultracold neutral plasma

We study the formation of Rydberg atoms in expanding plasmas at temperatures of 1-1000 K and densities from 10(5)-10(10) cm(-3). Up to 20% of the initially free charges recombine in about 100 micros, and the binding energy of the Rydberg atoms approximately equals the increase in the kinetic energy of the remaining free electrons. Three-body recombination is expected to dominate in this regime, yet most of our results are inconsistent with this mechanism.     

Scattering of electrons by atoms

The theoretical procedures of current interest in the calculation of electron atom scattering are discussed with emphasis on the intermediate energy range. The essential features of the mathematical methods are described. Some specific results are compared with experiment to illustrate the accomplishments and the limitations of the theory.     

Bright solitons in ultracold atoms

We review old and recent experimental and theoretical results on bright solitons in Bose–Einstein condensates made of alkali-metal atoms and under external optical confinement. First we deduce the three-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equation (3D GPE) from the Dirac–Frenkel action of interacting identical bosons within a time-dependent Hartree approximation. Then we discuss the dimensional reduction of the GPE from 3D to 1D, deriving the 1D GPE and also the 1D nonpolynomial Schrödinger equation (1D NPSE). Finally, we analyze the bright solition solutions of both 1D GPE and 1D NPSE and compare these theoretical predictions with the available experimental data.     

Scattering amplitude and two-body loss of ultracold alkaline-earth atoms in a shaking synthetic magnetic field

The idea of manipulating the interaction between ultracold fermionic alkaline-earth (like) atoms via a laser-induced periodical synthetic magnetic field was proposed in Kanász-Nagy et al (2018 Phys. Rev. B 97, 155156). In that work, it was shown that in the presence of the shaking synthetic magnetic field, two atoms in ¹S₀ and ³P₀ states experience a periodical interaction in a rotated frame, and the effective inter-atomic interaction was approximated as the time-averaged operator of this time-dependent interaction. This technique is supposed to be efficient for ¹⁷³Yb atoms which have a large natural scattering length. Here we examine this time-averaging approximation and derive the rate of the two-body loss induced by the shaking of the synthetic magnetic field, by calculating the zero-energy inter-atomic scattering amplitude corresponding to the explicit periodical interaction. We find that for the typical cases with shaking angular frequency λ of the synthetic magnetic field being of the order of (2π) kHz, the time-averaging approximation is applicable only when the shaking amplitude is small enough. Moreover, the two-body loss rate increases with the shaking amplitude, and is of the order of 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ · s⁻¹ or even larger when the time-averaging approximation is not applicable. Our results are helpful for the quantum simulations with ultracold gases of fermionic alkaline-earth (like) atoms.     

Tuning p-wave interactions in an ultracold Fermi gas of atoms

We have measured a p-wave Feshbach resonance in a single-component, ultracold Fermi gas of 40K atoms. We have used this resonance to enhance the normally suppressed p-wave collision cross section to values larger than the background s-wave cross section between 40K atoms in different spin states. In addition to the modification of two-body elastic processes, the resonance dramatically enhances three-body inelastic collisional loss.     

Observing Zitterbewegung with ultracold atoms

We propose an optical lattice scheme which would permit the experimental observation of Zitterbewegung (ZB) with ultracold, neutral atoms. A four-level tripod variant of the setup for stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) has previously been proposed for generating non-Abelian gauge fields. Dirac-like Hamiltonians, which exhibit ZB, are simple examples of such non-Abelian gauge fields; we show how a variety of them can arise, and how ZB can be observed, in a tripod system. We predict that the ZB should occur at experimentally accessible frequencies and amplitudes.     

Magnetic trapping of ultracold Rydberg atoms

We investigate the quantum dynamics of ultracold Rydberg atoms being exposed to a magnetic quadrupole field. A Hamiltonian describing the coupled dynamics of the electronic and center of mass motion is derived. Employing an adiabatic approach, the potential energy surfaces for intra-n-manifold mixing are computed. By determining the quantum states of the center of mass motion, we demonstrate that trapped states can be achieved if the total angular momentum of the atom is sufficiently large. This holds even if the extension of the electronic Rydberg state becomes equal to or even exceeds that of the ultracold center of mass motion.