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arXiv:1507.04639 · Physical Review A

Quantum reflection of bright solitary matter waves from a narrow attractive potential

A. L. Marchant, T. P. Billam, M. M. H. Yu, Ana Rakonjac, J. L. Helm, Juan Polo, Christoph Weiß, S. A. Gardiner, Simon L. Cornish

Published Feb 3, 2016• 68 citations
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Abstract

We report the observation of quantum reflection from a narrow attractive potential using bright solitary matter waves formed from a $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ Bose-Einstein condensate. We create the attractive potential using a tightly focused, red-detuned laser beam, and observe reflection of up to 25% of the atoms, along with the confinement of atoms at the position of the beam. We show that the observed reflected fraction is much larger than theoretical predictions for a simple Gaussian potential well. A more detailed model of bright soliton propagation, accounting for the generic presence of small subsidiary intensity maxima in the red-detuned beam, suggests that these small intensity maxima are the cause of this enhanced reflection.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.93.021604

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•Jan 1, 2013•0 citations
We report the observation of quantum reflection from a narrow attractive potential using bright solitary matter waves formed from a 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb Bose-Einstein condensate. We create the attractive potential using a tightly focused, red-detuned laser beam, and observe reflection of up to 25% of the atoms, along with the confinement of atoms at the position of the beam. We show that the observed reflected fraction is much larger than theoretical predictions for a simple Gaussian potential well. A more detailed model of bright soliton propagation, accounting for the generic presence of small subsidiary intensity maxima in the red-detuned beam, suggests that these small intensity maxima are the cause of this enhanced reflection.
Bright solitons are non-dispersive wave solutions, arising in a diverse range of nonlinear, one-dimensional systems, including atomic Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions. In reality, cold-atom experiments can only approach the idealized one-dimensional limit necessary for the realization of true solitons. Nevertheless, it remains possible to create bright solitary waves, the three-dimensional analogue of solitons, which maintain many of the key properties of their one-dimensional counterparts. Such solitary waves offer many potential applications and provide a rich testing ground for theoretical treatments of many-body quantum systems. Here we report the controlled formation of a bright solitary matter-wave from a Bose-Einstein condensate of (85)Rb, which is observed to propagate over a distance of ∼1.1 mm in 150 ms with no observable dispersion. We demonstrate the reflection of a solitary wave from a repulsive Gaussian barrier and contrast this to the case of a repulsive condensate, in both cases finding excellent agreement with theoretical simulations using the three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation.
This thesis presents the work towards the realisation of an interferometer using bright solitary waves in a ring. The splitting of a bright solitary wave, which is created from a 85Rb Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical waveguide, is realised through scattering from a narrow potential well formed from a tightly focussed red detuned laser beam. We observe reflection of up to 25% of the atoms, along with the trapping of atoms at the position of the potential. Such a reflected fraction is much larger than the theoretical predictions for a single, narrow Gaussian potential. A more detailed model, which accounts for the diffraction pattern of the laser beam, suggests that the presence of these small subsidiary intensity maxima is the cause of the enhancement in quantum reflection. An upgrade of the apparatus sees a new set of magnetic coils, a compact coil mount, and a crossed optical dipole trap with independently controllable beams implemented. This enables the control of magnetic curvature and dipole trap position, and maximises the optical access to the science cell. To generate a ring trap for the interferometry scheme, a spatial light modulator (SLM) is incorporated into the experiment. Through underfilling the SLM panel with the laser beam, and the use of the analytical first phase guess prior to the error minimising Mixed Region Amplitude Freedom (MRAF) algorithm, we are able to generate speckle-free, high quality holograms of arbitrary shapes. Furthermore, we demonstrate atom trapping in a ring potential, which is formed at the intersection of the SLM beam and a red detuned horizontal light sheet.
We review recent experimental and theoretical work on the creation of bright matter wave solitons in Bose–Einstein condensates. In two recent experiments, solitons are formed from Bose–Einstein condensates of 7 Li by utilizing a Feshbach resonance to switch from repulsive to attractive interactions. The solitons are made to propagate in a one-dimensional potential formed by a focused laser beam. For repulsive interactions, the wavepacket undergoes dispersive wavepacket spreading, while for attractive interactions, localized solitons are formed. In our experiment, a multi-soliton train containing up to ten solitons is observed to propagate without spreading for a duration of 2 s. Adjacent solitons are found to interact repulsively, in agreement with a calculation based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation assuming that the soliton train is formed with an alternating phase structure. The origin of this phase structure is not entirely clear.
Matter-wave bright solitons are predicted to reflect from a purely attractive potential well although they are macroscopic objects with classical particle-like properties. The non-classical reflection occurs at small velocities and a pronounced switching to almost perfect transmission above a critical velocity is found, caused by nonlinear mean-field interactions. Full numerical results from the nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation are complimented by a two-mode variational calculation to explain the predicted effect, which can be used for velocity filtering of solitons. The experimental realization with laser-induced potentials or two-component Bose-Einstein condensates is suggested.
Matter-wave bright solitons are predicted to reflect from a purely attractive potential well although they are macroscopic objects with classical particle-like properties. The non-classical reflection occurs at small velocities and a pronounced switching to almost perfect transmission above a critical velocity is found, caused by nonlinear mean-field interactions. Full numerical results from the nonlinear Schrödinger equation are complimented by a two-mode variational calculation to explain the predicted effect, which can be used for velocity filtering of solitons. The experimental realization with laser-induced potentials or two-component Bose-Einstein condensates is suggested.
This thesis describes the formation of a 85Rb Bose-Einstein condensate and the subsequent creation of a bright solitary matter-wave in a quasi-one-dimensional optical waveguide, with experiments investigating the dynamics of a solitary wave in comparison with a repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate. In the final chapters of this thesis, progress towards the interaction of a solitary wave with a narrow barrier and an attractive atom-surface potential is presented. Beyond the above, a review of recent soliton and solitary wave theory is presented from the perspective of an experimentalist, culminating in the numerical analysis of a variety of key areas, namely, quantum reflection, solitary wave size and solitary wave profile. The modelling and experimental results relating to the merging of ultracold gases of 85Rb and 87Rb, in order to create isotopic mixtures, is also described within this thesis. Such a scheme could be used as an initial step in the process of forming molecules or undertaking sympathetic cooling. Finally, the creation of a complex LabVIEW based experimental control system is also described within.