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arXiv:1407.8130 · Physical Review A

Dipolar atomic spin ensembles in a double-well potential

A. de Paz, B. Naylor, J. H. Huckans, A. Carrance, O. Gorceix, É. Maréchal, P. Pedri, B. Laburthe-Tolra, L. Vernac

Published Oct 8, 2014• 16 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We experimentally study the spin dynamics of mesoscopic ensembles of ultracold magnetic spin-3 atoms located in two separated wells of an optical dipole trap. We use a radio-frequency sweep to selectively flip the spin of the atoms in one of the wells, which produces two separated spin domains of opposite polarization. We observe that these engineered spin domains are metastable with respect to the long-range magnetic dipolar interactions between the two ensembles. The absence of intercloud dipolar spin-exchange processes reveals a classical behavior, in contrast to previous results with atoms loaded in an optical lattice. When we merge the two subsystems, we observe spin-exchange dynamics due to contact interactions which enable the determination of the $s$-wave scattering length of $^{52}\mathrm{Cr}$ atoms in the $S=0$ molecular channel ${a}_{0}=13.{5}_{\ensuremath{-}10.5}^{+11}{a}_{B}$ (where ${a}_{B}$ is the Bohr radius).

DOI
10.1103/physreva.90.043607

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We experimentally study the spin dynamics of mesoscopic ensembles of ultracold magnetic spin-3 atoms located in two separated wells of an optical dipole trap. We use a radio-frequency sweep to selectively flip the spin of the atoms in one of the wells, which produces two separated spin domains of opposite polarization. We observe that these engineered spin domains are metastable with respect to the long-range magnetic dipolar interactions between the two ensembles. The absence of intercloud dipolar spin-exchange processes reveals a classical behavior, in contrast to previous results with atoms loaded in an optical lattice. When we merge the two subsystems, we observe spin-exchange dynamics due to contact interactions which enable the determination of the sss-wave scattering length of 52Cr^{52}\mathrm{Cr}52Cr atoms in the S=0S=0S=0 molecular channel a0=13.5\ensuremath−10.5+11aB{a}_{0}=13.{5}_{\ensuremath{-}10.5}^{+11}{a}_{B}a0​=13.5\ensuremath−10.5+11​aB​ (where aB{a}_{B}aB​ is the Bohr radius).
Abstract : With the production of polar molecules in the quantum regime, long-range dipolar interactions are expected to facilitate understanding of strongly interacting many-body quantum systems and to realize lattice spin models for exploring quantum magnetism. In ordinary atomic systems, where contact interactions require wavefunction overlap, effective spin interactions on a lattice can be mediated by tunnelling, through a process referred to as superexchange; however, the coupling is relatively weak and is limited to nearest-neighbour interactions. In contrast, dipolar interactions exist even in the absence of tunnelling and extend beyond nearest neighbours. This allows coherent spin dynamics to persist even for gases with relatively high entropy and low lattice filling. Measured effects of dipolar interactions in ultracold molecular gases have been limited to the modification of inelastic collisions and chemical reactions. Here we use dipolar interactions of polar molecules pinned in a three-dimensional optical lattice to realize a lattice spin model. Spin is encoded in rotational states of molecules that are prepared and probed by microwaves. Resonant exchange of rotational angular momentum between two molecules realizes a spin-exchange interaction. The dipolar interactions are apparent in the evolution of the spin coherence, which shows oscillations in addition to an overall decay of the coherence. The frequency of these oscillations, the strong dependence of the spin coherence time on the lattice filling factor and the effect of a multipulse sequence designed to reverse dynamics due to two-body exchange interactions all provide evidence of dipolar interactions. Furthermore, we demonstrate the suppression of loss in weak lattices due to a continuous quantum Zeno mechanism. Measurements of these tunnelling-induced losses allow us to determine the lattice filling factor independently.
Abstract Ultracold polar molecules combine a rich structure of long-lived internal states with access to controllable long-range anisotropic dipole–dipole interactions. In particular, the rotational states of polar molecules confined in optical tweezers or optical lattices may be used to encode interacting qubits for quantum computation or pseudo-spins for simulating quantum magnetism. As with all quantum platforms, the engineering of robust coherent superpositions of states is vital. However, for optically trapped molecules, the coherence time between rotational states is typically limited by inhomogeneous differential light shifts. Here we demonstrate a rotationally magic optical trap for 87 Rb 133 Cs molecules that supports a Ramsey coherence time of 0.78(4) s in the absence of dipole–dipole interactions. This is estimated to extend to >1.4 s at the 95% confidence level using a single spin-echo pulse. In our trap, dipolar interactions become the dominant mechanism by which Ramsey contrast is lost for superpositions that generate oscillating dipoles. By changing the states forming the superposition, we tune the effective dipole moment and show that the coherence time is inversely proportional to the strength of the dipolar interaction. Our work unlocks the full potential of the rotational degree of freedom in molecules for quantum computation and quantum simulation.
Mixtures of ultracold gases with long-range interactions are expected to open new avenues in the study of quantum matter. Natural candidates for this research are spin mixtures of atomic species with large magnetic moments. However, the lifetime of such assemblies can be strongly affected by the dipolar relaxation that occurs in spin-flip collisions. Here we present experimental results for a mixture composed of the two lowest Zeeman states of ^{162}Dy atoms, that act as dark states with respect to a light-induced quadratic Zeeman effect. We show that, due to an interference phenomenon, the rate for such inelastic processes is dramatically reduced with respect to the Wigner threshold law. Additionally, we determine the scattering lengths characterizing the s-wave interaction between these states, providing all necessary data to predict the miscibility range of the mixture, depending on its dimensionality.
Under many circumstances, the only important two-body interaction between atoms in ultracold dilute atomic vapors is the short-ranged isotropic s-wave collision. Recent studies have shown, however, that situations may arise where the dipolar interaction between atomic magnetic or electric dipole moments can play a significant role. The long-range anisotropic nature of the dipolar interaction greatly enriches the static and dynamic properties of ultracold atoms. In the case of dipolar spinor condensates, the interplay between the dipolar interaction and the spin exchange interaction may lead to nontrivial spin textures. Here we pay particular attention to the spin vortex state that is analogous to the magnetic vortex found in thin magnetic films.
Dipole-dipole interactions are long-ranged and anisotropic. They induce a coupling between spin and angular momentum degrees of freedom yielding new interesting physics in the field of dilute quantum gases. We have thoroughly studied dipolar relaxation DR processes in a chromium BEC transferred into an excited magnetic m = +3 sublevel and loaded in 1D and 2D optical lattices. We demonstrate and quantify how the confinement of a quantum gas in optical lattices deeply modifies the DR processes. In particular, we show that DR is strongly inhibited at low magnetic fields when the released energy becomes smaller than the vibrational quantum of energy at the bottom of the lattice wells. We show that interband transitions are induced above the corresponding threshold and that metastability of the "excited state BEC" is reached below the 2D threshold.
Since the achievement of quantum degeneracy in gases of chromium atoms in 2004, the experimental investigation of ultracold gases made of highly magnetic atoms has blossomed. The field has yielded the observation of many unprecedented phenomena, in particular those in which long-range and anisotropic dipole-dipole interactions (DDIs) play a crucial role. In this review, we aim to present the aspects of the magnetic quantum-gas platform that make it unique for exploring ultracold and quantum physics as well as to give a thorough overview of experimental achievements. Highly magnetic atoms distinguish themselves by the fact that their electronic ground-state configuration possesses a large electronic total angular momentum. This results in a large magnetic moment and a rich electronic transition spectrum. Such transitions are useful for cooling, trapping, and manipulating these atoms. The complex atomic structure and large dipolar moments of these atoms also lead to a dense spectrum of resonances in their two-body scattering behaviour. These resonances can be used to control the interatomic interactions and, in particular, the relative importance of contact over dipolar interactions. These features provide exquisite control knobs for exploring the few- and many-body physics of dipolar quantum gases. The study of dipolar effects in magnetic quantum gases has covered various few-body phenomena that are based on elastic and inelastic anisotropic scattering. Various many-body effects have also been demonstrated. These affect both the shape, stability, dynamics, and excitations of fully polarised repulsive Bose or Fermi gases. Beyond the mean-field instability, strong dipolar interactions competing with slightly weaker contact interactions between magnetic bosons yield new quantum-stabilised states, among which are self-bound droplets, droplet assemblies, and supersolids. Dipolar interactions also deeply affect the physics of atomic gases with an internal degree of freedom as these interactions intrinsically couple spin and atomic motion. Finally, long-range dipolar interactions can stabilise strongly correlated excited states of 1D gases and also impact the physics of lattice-confined systems, both at the spin-polarised level (Hubbard models with off-site interactions) and at the spinful level (XYZ models). In the present manuscript, we aim to provide an extensive overview of the various related experimental achievements up to the present.