The quantum acousto-optic effect in Bose-Einstein condensate

We investigate the interaction between a single mode light field and an elongated cigar shaped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), subject to a temporal modulation of the trap frequency in the tight confinement direction. Under appropriate conditions, the longitudinal sound like waves (Faraday waves) in the direction of weak confinement acts as a dynamic diffraction grating for the incident light field analogous to the acousto-optic effect in classical optics. The change in the refractive index due to the periodic modulation of the BEC density is responsible for the acousto-optic effect. The dynamics is characterised by Bragg scattering of light from the matter wave Faraday grating and simultaneous Bragg scattering of the condensate atoms from the optical grating formed due to the interference between the incident light and the diffracted light fields. Varying the intensity of the incident laser beam we observe the transition from the acousto-optic effect regime to the atomic Bragg scattering regime, where Rabi oscillations between two momentum levels of the atoms are observed. We show that the acousto-optic effect is reduced as the atomic interaction is increased.     

Squeezing and entangling atomic motion in cavity QED via quantum nondemolition measurement

We propose a scheme for preparing the squeezing of an atomic motion and an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen state in position and momentum of a pair of distantly separated trapped atoms. The scheme utilizes the quantum nondemolition measurements with interaction between the cavity field and the motional state of the trapped atom in cavity QED. By illuminating the atoms with bichromatic light, the interaction Hamiltonian of the cross-Kerr effect between the cavity and atomic motion is generated to implement quantum nondemolition measurements.Received: 5 February 2003, Published online: 17 July 2003PACS: 03.67.Hk Quantum communication - 32.80.Lg Mechanical effects of light on atoms, molecules, and ions - 42.50.-p Quantum optics     

Bragg scattering as a probe of atomic wave functions and quantum phase transitions in optical lattices

We have observed Bragg scattering of photons from quantum degenerate ^{87}Rb atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. Bragg scattered light directly probes the microscopic crystal structure and atomic wave function whose position and momentum width is Heisenberg limited. The spatial coherence of the wave function leads to revivals in the Bragg scattered light due to the atomic Talbot effect. The decay of revivals across the superfluid to Mott insulator transition indicates the loss of superfluid coherence.     

Quantum decoupling transition in a one-dimensional Feshbach-resonant superfluid

We study a one-dimensional gas of fermionic atoms interacting via an s-wave molecular Feshbach resonance. At low energies the system is characterized by two Josephson-coupled Luttinger liquids, corresponding to paired atomic and molecular superfluids. We show that, in contrast to higher dimensions, the system exhibits a quantum phase transition from a phase in which the two superfluids are locked together to one in which, at low energies, quantum fluctuations suppress the Feshbach resonance (Josephson) coupling, effectively decoupling the molecular and atomic superfluids. Experimental signatures of this quantum transition include the appearance of an out-of-phase gapless mode (in addition to the standard gapless in-phase mode) in the spectrum of the decoupled superfluid phase and a discontinuous change in the molecular momentum distribution function.     

Superfluidity and phase transitions in a resonant Bose gas

The atomic Bose gas is studied across a Feshbach resonance, mapping out its phase diagram, and computing its thermodynamics and excitation spectra. It is shown that such a degenerate gas admits two distinct atomic and molecular superfluid phases, with the latter distinguished by the absence of atomic off-diagonal long-range order, gapped atomic excitations, and deconfined atomic π-vortices. The properties of the molecular superfluid are explored, and it is shown that across a Feshbach resonance it undergoes a quantum Ising transition to the atomic superfluid, where both atoms and molecules are condensed. In addition to its distinct thermodynamic signatures and deconfined half-vortices, in a trap a molecular superfluid should be identifiable by the absence of an atomic condensate peak and the presence of a molecular one.     

用错位相位光栅产生的可调光学双阱

提出了用相位型错位光栅产生光学双阱的新方案.用平面光波(或TEM₀₀模式高斯光波)照射、正透镜聚焦,在透镜焦平面上产生的适用于冷原子或冷分子囚禁的多对可调光学双阱.计算和推导了双阱的光强分布、强度梯度以及光阱的几何参数与光学系统参数间的解析关系,研究了双阱到单阱三种不同的演化过程.同时还计算了光学双阱囚禁冷原子的光学偶极势和光子散射速率.研究发现,该方案不仅简单可行、操作方便,而且在原子物理、原子光学、分子光学和量子光学领域中有着广阔的应用前景. 关键词： 原子光学 相位光栅 光学双阱 冷原子囚禁     

Formation of quantum-degenerate sodium molecules

Ultracold sodium molecules were produced from an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate by ramping an applied magnetic field across a Feshbach resonance. More than 10(5) molecules were generated with a conversion efficiency of approximately 4%. Using laser light resonant with an atomic transition, the remaining atoms could be selectively removed, preventing fast collisional relaxation of the molecules. Time-of-flight analysis of the pure molecular sample yielded an instantaneous phase-space density greater than 20.     

Generation of light carrying orbital angular momentum via induced coherence grating in cold atoms

We report on the generation of light carrying orbital angular momentum through Bragg diffraction into an electromagnetically induced coherence grating in a degenerate two-level system of cold cesium atoms. The induced Zeeman coherence grating is shown to contain the spatial phase structure of the incident beams. The exchange of phase information between a light beam with orbital angular momentum and a long-lived atomic coherence opens up the way to process quantum information encoded in a multidimensional state space.     

Development of variable‐magnification X‐ray Bragg optics

A novel X‐ray Bragg optics is proposed for variable‐magnification of an X‐ray beam. This X‐ray Bragg optics is composed of two magnifiers in a crossed arrangement, and the magnification factor, M, is controlled through the azimuth angle of each magnifier. The basic properties of the X‐ray optics such as the magnification factor, image transformation matrix and intrinsic acceptance angle are described based on the dynamical theory of X‐ray diffraction. The feasibility of the variable‐magnification X‐ray Bragg optics was verified at the vertical‐wiggler beamline BL‐14B of the Photon Factory. For X‐ray Bragg magnifiers, Si(220) crystals with an asymmetric angle of 14° were used. The magnification factor was calculated to be tunable between 0.1 and 10.0 at a wavelength of 0.112 nm. At various magnification factors (M≥ 1.0), X‐ray images of a nylon mesh were observed with an air‐cooled X‐ray CCD camera. Image deformation caused by the optics could be corrected by using a 2 × 2 transformation matrix and bilinear interpolation method. Not only absorption‐contrast but also edge‐contrast due to Fresnel diffraction was observed in the magnified images.     

Quantum non-demolition measurement of Fock states via atomic scattering in Bragg regime

A simple scheme for quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement of a Fock state stored in a high-Q cavity is proposed. esscheme utilizes well-defined atomic center-of-mass momentum states in wave propagation direction, interacting with an offresonant cavity field in the Bragg regime. The same scheme can be applied for the formation of quantum Controlled-NOT logic gate.     

Atomic-core dynamics and the electronic structure of some endo-and exohedral complexes of fullerenes with light elements

The atomic and electronic structure of some endo-, exo-, and endo-exohedral complexes of the fullerene C₆₀ with various guest atoms and molecules (He_n, H₂, and Li₂) are investigated using semiempirical and nonempirical quantum-chemical methods. The atomic core dynamics is studied by the method of molecular dynamics. It is shown that guest atoms and molecules in fullerene polyhedra acquire an orbital angular momentum due to the correlated motion of nuclei above the low-energy barriers of the potential surface within the carbon polyhedron even at low temperatures (from 4 to 78 K). The emergence of orbital angular momenta of nuclei of guest atoms and molecules is attributed to a change in the contribution of the orbital angular momentum of electrons to the potential surface of the complexes. The motion of Li ions in a polyhedron leads to blurring of the top of the valence band and to the emergence of a charge polarization wave in the carbon polyhedron.     

通过圆孔衍射实现冷分子(或冷原子)囚禁的光学偶极阱

以单色标量波衍射理论为基础,研究单色平面波由圆孔衍射产生实现冷分子(或冷原子)光学囚禁的光阱。运用圆孔衍射理论分析讨论了光学偶极阱的光强分布、光学势及偶极力,并导出了有关光阱的几何参量、光强分布、强度梯度及其曲率与光学系统参量(如照明光波的波长、小孔的孔径)间的解析关系。研究表明,当激光功率与波长分别为P=500 W和λ=1.08μm,小孔半径a=20μm时,产生囚禁甲烷CH4分子的光阱光学势约为57.9μK。通过圆孔衍射可实现冷分子或冷原子囚禁,该方案不仅简单可行、操作方便,而且在冷分子物理、原子光学、分子光学和量子光学等领域中有着广阔的应用前景。     

Detecting the amplitude mode of strongly interacting lattice bosons by Bragg scattering

We report the first detection of the Higgs-type amplitude mode using Bragg spectroscopy in a strongly interacting condensate of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. By the comparison of our experimental data with a spatially resolved, time-dependent bosonic Gutzwiller calculation, we obtain good quantitative agreement. This allows for a clear identification of the amplitude mode, showing that it can be detected with full momentum resolution by going beyond the linear response regime. A systematic shift of the sound and amplitude modes' resonance frequencies due to the finite Bragg beam intensity is observed.     

Metal-insulator transition revisited for cold atoms in non-Abelian gauge potentials

We discuss the possibility of realizing metal-insulator transitions with ultracold atoms in two-dimensional optical lattices in the presence of artificial gauge potentials. For Abelian gauges, such transitions occur when the magnetic flux penetrating the lattice plaquette is an irrational multiple of the magnetic flux quantum. Here we present the first study of these transitions for non-Abelian U(2) gauge fields. In contrast to the Abelian case, the spectrum and localization transition in the non-Abelian case is strongly influenced by atomic momenta. In addition to determining the localization boundary, the momentum fragments the spectrum. Other key characteristics of the non-Abelian case include the absence of localization for certain states and satellite fringes around the Bragg peaks in the momentum distribution and an interesting possibility that the transition can be tuned by the atomic momenta.     

Kondo effect of molecular complexes at surfaces: ligand control of the local spin coupling

The spin state of single magnetic atoms and molecules at surfaces is of fundamental interest and may play an important role in future atomic-scale technologies. We demonstrate the ability to tune the coupling between the spin of individual cobalt adatoms with their surroundings by controlled attachment of molecular ligands. The strength of the coupling is determined via the Kondo resonance by low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Spatial Kondo resonance mapping is introduced as a novel imaging tool to localize spin centers in magnetic molecules with atomic precision.     

Molecular matter-wave amplifier

We describe a matter-wave amplifier for vibrational ground-state molecules which uses a Feshbach resonance to first form quasibound molecules starting from an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate. The quasibound molecules are then driven into their stable vibrational ground state via a two-photon Raman transition inside an optical cavity. The transition from the quasibound state to the electronically excited state is driven by a classical field. Amplification of ground state molecules is then achieved by using a strongly damped cavity mode for the transition from the electronically excited molecules to the molecular ground state.     

Cavity-Assisted Atomic External Momenta State Teleportation

The quantized momentum eigenstates of neutral atoms offer high resistance to decoherence and thus suggests a viable alternative for quantum informatics tasks including teleportation. In this work, a scheme is suggested to teleport an unknown superposition of two distinct external momentum states of a neutral atom onto the similar momentum states of a distant atom at the receiving end through the off-resonant atomic Bragg diffraction (ABD). In order to teleport this unknown state from the sender, that is, Alice, to the receiver, that is, Bob, a pre-existing entangled link formed through a high-Q cavity at Alice's end and momentum states of a neutral atom at the Bob's end are utilized. Further, while citing the realistic experimental parameters, it is demonstrated that the proposal can easily be implemented experimentally under the prevailing cavity-QED atom-field research scenario. The proposal is also generalized to cover the teleportation of the multipartite entangled momenta states and the case of multipartite GHZ entangled states is elucidated in details. However, the procedure is generic and can be extended to cover the teleportation schematics for any arbitrary atomic momenta states.     

Empirical photoabsorption cross sections for C,N, O,F and Cl obtained from molecular measurements between 50 and 340 Å

For many years, it has been known that many molecular photoabsorption cross sections in the hard X-ray region could be approximately obtained by summing the individual contributions of each atom to the total cross section. This article reports on an attempt to express 15 molecular cross sections as sums of empirical atomic cross sections for five constituent atoms C, N, O, F and Cl. For most wavelength ranges, the empirical atomic cross sections generated from a best fit to the molecular data were capable of describing the measured molecular cross sections to within 2% accuracy. In the 260–300 Å region where broad structures occur in the molecular spectra, the above model was slightly worse, perhaps indicating the appearance of molecular resonance effects discussed by other authors. It is suggested here that sums of empirical atomic cross sections will provide a useful means for prediction of molecular photoabsorption cross sections for molecules other than those investigated here for this limited wavelength region although it is acknowledge that the theoretical basis for this procedure is questionable.     

Line Shape of Spontaneous Resonance Hyper-Raman Scattering of Intense Optical Fields

The splitting of the line of resonance scattered light from atomic systems, being a mong the most interesting phenomena in resonance nonlinear optics has received considerable attention during the past decade [1–11]. It is known by now that the number of lines into which the spontaneous scattered light spectrum splits, grows up with increasing the number N of strongly coupled atomic (or molecular) levels as N(N-1)+1 [10, 11]. But while the character of resonance fluorescence (RF) from a two- and three-level systems has been extensively studied [1–91], the number of papers devoted to the spectral structure of scattered light from systems with N>3 is scarce. In reality there is only one work [12], known to us, which treat s certain aspects of the spectrum of RF from a four-level system irradiated by three strong light fields at exact resonance.