We propose a possible experimental realization of a quantum analogue of Newton's cradle using a configuration which starts from a Bose–Einstein condensate. The system consists of atoms with two internal states trapped in a one-dimensional tube with a longitudinal optical lattice and maintained in a strong Tonks–Girardeau regime at maximal filling. In each site the wave-function is a superposition of the two atomic states and a disturbance of the wave-function propagates along the chain in analogy with the propagation of momentum in the classical Newton cradle. The quantum travelling signal is generally deteriorated by dispersion, which is large for a uniform chain and is known to be zero for a suitably engineered chain, but the latter is hardly realizable in practice. Starting from these opposite situations we show how the coherent behaviour can be enhanced with minimal experimental effort.
We propose a possible experimental realization of a quantum analogue of Newton's cradle using a configuration which starts from a Bose–Einstein condensate. The system consists of atoms with two internal states trapped in a one-dimensional tube with a longitudinal optical lattice and maintained in a strong Tonks–Girardeau regime at maximal filling. In each site the wave-function is a superposition of the two atomic states and a disturbance of the wave-function propagates along the chain in analogy with the propagation of momentum in the classical Newton cradle. The quantum travelling signal is generally deteriorated by dispersion, which is large for a uniform chain and is known to be zero for a suitably engineered chain, but the latter is hardly realizable in practice. Starting from these opposite situations we show how the coherent behaviour can be enhanced with minimal experimental effort.
The first successful experimental realization of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in 1995 sparked a still growing research activity that in the meantime has led to beautiful and surprising results, such as the interference of matter waves [4], the Mott-superfluid phase transition [49] or the direct observation of Anderson localization of matter waves [10]. The strong interest in BECs arises, among others, from the possibility to investigate known but hard to study quantum systems on a rather macroscopic scale: for example one can load ultra-cold bosons into an optical lattice created by a standing light wave, and thereby simulate a solid state device. When it comes to a measurement on the BEC, however, essentially all measurement techniques result in the destruction of the condensate: for example in the so called “time of flight method” the optical lattice is switched off to observe the expansion of the trapped atoms and thereby directly visualize their momentum distribution, which highlights the condensed component [11]. In this thesis we elaborate on a means to probe a Bose-Einstein condensate from outside, with a scattering particle. The interaction between the probe particle and the bosons allows energy exchange between them, i.e., this setup includes inelastic scattering. After the scattering process, the condensate is still confined in the optical lattice and can therefore be used for further investigations. Of course, this method of probing a BEC is only then a serious alternative if the properties of the BEC can be inferred from the scattering signal. Besides outlining the scattering formalism, the central aim of this work is to show how the properties of the BEC can be deduced from those quantities accessible in a scattering experiment, like for example the transmission or the inelastic cross section. The other, equally strong motivation of this work concerns the signature of the interaction between the bosons in the scattering quantities. The dynamics of an analog classical system depends strongly on the interaction strength, which can induce a complex structure of the underlying phase space like, e.g., the appearance of a separatrix or even the emergence of chaotic dynamics in a globally mixed regular-chaotic phase space. We are interested to which extent such phase-space metamorphosis is reflected in the properties of the scattering particle. Currently light scattering (Bragg spectroscopy) on an optical lattice [78, 77] or rather on an optical lattice embedded into a cavity [62,68,19] is under intense investigation. These efforts predominantly aim at a characterization of the Mott-superfluid transition by specific scattering properties. In the present thesis we focus on condensates loaded in two and three lattice sites, with a large number of bosons. These systems exhibit a diversity of important physical effects (as we will see below) and thus are of paradigmatic relevance for a detailed understanding of multiparticle quantum dynamics in periodic potentials.
We derive and study the Bloch and Bogoliubov spectrum of a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) confined in a one-dimensional optical superlattice (created by interference between a primary optical lattice and a secondary optical lattice of small strength), using the Bogoliubov approximation and the hydrodynamic theory with mode coupling. We show that a BEC in an optical superlattice experiences two different tunnelling parameters and hence behaves like a diatomic chain. We derive expressions for the tunnelling parameters as a function of the strength of the primary and secondary lattice. This gives rise to a gapped branch in addition to the gapless acoustical branch in the Bogoliubov spectrum. The spectrum strongly depends on the strength of the secondary lattice, the interaction parameter and the number density of atoms. The effective mass is found to increase as the depth of the secondary optical lattice increases, a property that was utilized in Paraedes et al (2004 Nature 429 277) to achieve the Tonks–Girardeau regime. The coupling between the inhomogeneous density in the radial plane and the density modulation along the optical lattice gives rise to a multibranch Bogoliubov spectrum.
In this thesis, I present the first experimental implementation of a Josephson junction for Bose-Einstein condensates. The weak link between two BECs constitutes the nonlinear generalization of the well known Josephson junction of weakly-coupled superconductors that are separated by a thin insulating barrier. In our experiment, the required overlap of two macroscopic wavefunctions is provided by loading a BEC into an optical double well potential. It is realized by a superposition of a one-dimensional optical lattice with a focused laser beam optical dipole trap. The tunneling dynamics between the two potential wells exhibits two distinct dynamical regimes. For small initial population imbalances of the two wells we observe nearly sinusoidal Josephson tunneling oscillations, which are characterized by an oscillating population and relative phase. The situation changes drastically, if the initial population imbalance is chosen above a critical value. In this case, resonant tunneling between the two wells is prohibited because the difference between the on-site particle interaction energies in the two wells exceeds the tunneling energy splitting. As a consequence, the atomic distribution becomes self-locked and the relative phase evolves unbound in time. This regime of prohibited tunneling, which has no analogon in superconducting Josephson junctions, is called “macroscopic quantum self-trapping”.
The experimental realization of Bose-Einstein condensates in dilute alkali gases has opened up the possibility to perform time and space domain interferometry with coherent matter waves. We have exploited different configurations realizing coherent matter wave interferometers: in a first set of exeperiments we create a twofold condensate sample investigating the interplay between internal and external degrees of freedom in the matter wave analogous of a Young diffraction experiment. In a second experimental arrangement we produce a one dimensional array of condensates in an optical lattice. Upon release from the optical lattice the condensates are made to interfere, the resulting interference pattern, this time analogous to an optical diffraction grating, is used to extract information about static and dynamical properties of the sample.
We study the scattering of a soliton-like propagating particle with a wall of bound particles, in several strongly interacting one-dimensional lattice models with discrete degrees of freedom. We consider spin-polarized fermions (anisotropic Heisenberg spin chain), the fermionic Hubbard model, and the Bose Hubbard model, using precise numerical time dependent Density Matrix Renormalization Group techniques. We show that in all integrable models studied, there is no reflection. Instead, an incoming particle experiences particle-hole transmutation upon entry and exit of the wall, and travels inside the wall as a hole, analoguous to Klein tunneling, even though the dispersion is highly nonlinear and there is no external potential. {\em Two} particles are added to the wall on the incoming side and removed on the opposite side. For spin-polarized fermions a single transmitted particle thus shifts the wall by two lattice sites, in complete contrast to classical physics. For both Hubbard models, the wall shifts by one doubly occupied single site. In the nonintegrable models studied, the same process occurs in linear superposition with backscattering events. We demonstrate a corresponding fermionic quantum Newton's cradle and a metamaterial with "tachyonic" modes travelling faster than in an empty system. We present a possible atomic scale signal counter for spintronics. Our scenario should be realizable in future cold atom experiments.