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arXiv:1410.1811 · Physical Review A

Optical manipulation of matter-wave vortices: An analog of circular dichroism

Pradip Kumar Mondal, Bimalendu Deb, Sonjoy Majumder

Published Oct 5, 2015• 9 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The transfer of orbital angular momentum from an optical vortex to an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate changes the vorticity of the condensate. The spatial mismatch between initial and final center-of-mass wave functions of the condensate significantly influences the two-photon optical dipole transition between corresponding states. We show that the transition rate depends on the handedness of the optical orbital angular momentum leading to optical manipulation of matter-wave vortices and circular dichroismlike effect. Based on this effect, we propose a method to detect the presence and sign of matter-wave vortex of atomic superfluids. Only a portion of the condensate is used in the proposed detection method leaving the rest in its initial state.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.92.043603

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•Jan 1, 2016•1 citation
The transfer of orbital angular momentum from an optical vortex to an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate changes the vorticity of the condensate. The spatial mismatch between initial and final center-of-mass wave functions of the condensate significantly influences the two-photon optical dipole transition between corresponding states. We show that the transition rate depends on the handedness of the optical orbital angular momentum leading to optical manipulation of matter-wave vortices and circular dichroismlike effect. Based on this effect, we propose a method to detect the presence and sign of matter-wave vortex of atomic superfluids. Only a portion of the condensate is used in the proposed detection method leaving the rest in its initial state.
The transfer of orbital angular momentum from an optical vortex to an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate changes the vorticity of the condensate. The spatial mismatch between initial and final center-of-mass wavefunctions of the condensate influences significantly the two-photon optical dipole transition between corresponding states. We show that the transition rate depends on the handedness of the optical orbital angular momentum leading to optical manipulation of matter-wave vortices and circular dichroism-like effect. Based on this effect, we propose a method to detect the presence and sign of matter-wave vortex of atomic superfluids. Only a portion of the condensate is used in the proposed detection method leaving the rest in its initial state.
We present experimental results on the coherent transfer of orbital angular momentum (OAM) from optical fields to the center-of-mass motion of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), using an approach which results in negligible linear momentum change. Two collinear optical beams of differing OAM are used to couple discrete sublevels of the atomic ground state via a stimulated Raman process. We demonstrate several of the possible optical field configurations which place the BEC into various spinor and vortex states. We also show how this approach can be used to create coherent superpositions of these states and use the interference patterns of such superpositions to confirm the presence of quantized vortices.
The exchange of orbital angular momentum (OAM) between paraxial optical vortex and a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of atomic gases is well known. In this paper, we develop a theory for the microscopic interaction between matter and an optical vortex beyond paraxial approximation. We show how superposition of vortex states of BEC can be created with a focused optical vortex. Since the polarization or spin angular momentum (SAM) of the optical field is coupled with OAM of the field, in this case, these angular momenta can be transferred to the internal electronic and external center-of-mass motion of atoms provided both the motions are coupled. We propose a scheme for producing the superposition of matter-wave vortices using Gaussian and a focused Laguerre-Gaussian beam. We study how two-photon Rabi frequencies of stimulated Raman transitions vary with focusing angles for different combinations of OAM and SAM of optical states. We demonstrate the formation of vortex-antivortex structure and discuss interference of three vortex states in a BEC.
We demonstrate the coherent transfer of the orbital angular momentum of a photon to an atom in quantized units of h, using a 2-photon stimulated Raman process with Laguerre-Gaussian beams to generate an atomic vortex state in a Bose-Einstein condensate of sodium atoms. We show that the process is coherent by creating superpositions of different vortex states, where the relative phase between the states is determined by the relative phases of the optical fields. Furthermore, we create vortices of charge 2 by transferring to each atom the orbital angular momentum of two photons. We subsequently use our technique to induce rotation of the condensate confined in an asymmetric, ring-shaped hybrid optical and magnetic trap. We observe the cloud rotating for up to 13 seconds, due to the superfluid character of the condensate.
We describe the coherent transfer of the orbital angular momentum of a photon to an atom in quantized units of ℏ, using a 2-photon stimulated Raman process with Laguerre-Gaussian beams to generate an atomic vortex state in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of sodium atoms. We show that the process is coherent by creating superpositions of different vortex states, where the relative phase between the states is determined by the relative phases of the optical fields. We use this technique to generate circular flow of a BEC confined in a toriodal shaped trap. We measure that the flow of atoms persists for up to 10 seconds, which we interpret as the first evidence of persistent currents in a superfluid Bose gas.
Methods to generate, manipulate, and measure optical and atomic fields with global or local angular momentum have a wide range of applications in both fundamental physics research and technology development. In optics, the engineering of angular momentum states of light can aid studies of orbital angular momentum (OAM) exchange between light and matter. The engineering of optical angular momentum states can also be used to increase the bandwidth of optical communications or serve as a means to distribute quantum keys, for example. Similar capabilities in Bose-Einstein condensates are being investigated to improve our understanding of superfluid dynamics, superconductivity, and turbulence, the last of which is widely considered to be one of most ubiquitous yet poorly understood subjects in physics. The first part of this two-part dissertation presents an analysis of techniques for measuring and manipulating quantized vortices in BECs. The second part of this dissertation presents theoretical and numerical analyses of new methods to engineer the OAM spectra of optical beams. The superfluid dynamics of a BEC are often well described by a nonlinear Schrodinger equation. The nonlinearity arises from interatomic scattering and enables BECs to support quantized vortices, which have quantized circulation and are fundamental structural elements of quantum turbulence. With the experimental tools to dynamically manipulate and measure quantized vortices, BECs are proving to be a useful medium for testing the theoretical predictions of quantum turbulence. In this dissertation we analyze a method for making minimally destructive in situ observations of quantized vortices in a BEC. Secondly, we numerically study a mechanism to imprint vortex dipoles in a BEC. With these advancements, more robust experiments of vortex dynamics and quantum turbulence will be within reach. A more complete understanding of quantum turbulence will enable principles of microscopic fluid flow to be related to the statistical properties of turbulence in a superfluid. In the second part of this dissertation we explore frequency mixing, a subset of nonlinear optical processes in which one or more input optical beam(s) are converted into one or more output beams with different optical frequencies. The ability of parametric nonlinear processes such as second harmonic generation or parametric amplification to manipulate the OAM spectra of optical beams is an active area of research. In a theoretical and numerical investigation, two complimentary methods for sculpting the OAM spectra are developed. The first method employs second harmonic generation with two non-collinear input beams to develop a broad spectrum of OAM states in an optical field. The second method utilizes parametric amplification with collinear input beams to develop an OAM-dependent gain or attenuation, termed dichroism for OAM, to effectively narrow the OAM spectrum of an optical beam. The theoretical principles developed in this dissertation enhance our understanding of how nonlinear processes can be used to engineer the OAM spectra of optical beams and could serve as methods to increase the bandwidth of an optical signal by multiplexing over a range of OAM states.