Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2308.07892 · New Journal of Physics

Vacuum entanglement probes for ultra-cold atom systems

Cisco Gooding, Allison Sachs, Robert B. Mann, Silke Weinfurtner

Published Oct 1, 2024• 10 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract This study explores the transfer of nonclassical correlations from an ultra-cold atom system to a pair of pulsed laser beams. Through nondestructive local probe measurements, we introduce an alternative to destructive techniques for mapping Bose–Einstein Condensate (BEC) entanglement. Operating at ultra-low temperatures, BEC density fluctuations emulate a relativistic vacuum field. We show that lasers can serve as Unruh–DeWitt detectors for vacuum BEC phonons. A quantum vacuum holds intrinsic entanglement, transferable to distant probes briefly interacting with it—a phenomenon termed ‘entanglement harvesting’. Our study accomplishes two primary objectives: first, establishing a mathematical connection between a pair of pulsed laser probes interacting with an effective relativistic field and the entanglement harvesting protocol; and second, to closely examine the potential and persisting obstacles for realising this protocol in an ultra-cold atom experiment.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/ad8675

Related papers

Harvesting entanglement from the Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum in a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate

Zehua Tian, Weiping Yao, Xiaobao Liu +3 more

We theoretically propose an experimentally viable scheme to explore the transfer of nonclassical correlations from a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) to a pair of impurities immersed in it. Operating at ultra-low temperature, density fluctuations of the dipolar BEC emulate a vacuum field with Lorentz-violating dispersion, while the two impurities function as Unruh-DeWitt detectors for the BEC quasiparticles. We study the harvesting of entanglement from the quantum vacuum of this analogue Lorentz-violating quantum field by spatially separated Unruh-DeWitt detectors. Our analysis reveals key parameter dependencies that optimize the harvesting of entanglement. In particular, unlike the Lorentz-invariant case, smoother detector switchings does not enhance the entanglement harvesting efficiency from the Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum. Moreover, the strength of the Lorentz-invariant violation can shift the optimal energy structure of the detectors for harvesting entanglement from the Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum-a clear deviation from the Lorentz-invariant scenario. As a fundamental quantum mechanical setup, our quantum fluid platform provides an experimentally realizable testbed for examining the entanglement harvesting protocol from an effective Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum using a pair of impurity probers, which may also has potential implications for exploring the Lorentz-invariant violation in quantum field theory.

quant-pharXiv:2512.09263•Physics Letters B•Dec 11, 2025•2 citations

Bose polarons as relativistic Unruh-DeWitt detectors: Entanglement harvesting from Bose-Einstein condensates

T. Rick Perche, Francesco Gozzini, Markus K. Oberthaler

We show that a bound impurity in a Bose-Einstein condensate can be directly mapped to an Unruh-DeWitt detector interacting with a relativistic quantum field. We provide explicit experimental parameters for an implementation using ${}^{41}\text{K}$ impurities coupled to a ${}^{87}\text{Rb}$ condensate via finite-time Feshbach tuning. As an application, we study the extraction of vacuum entanglement from distant regions of the condensate and find viable parameters for the implementation of entanglement harvesting.

quant-pharXiv:2512.21381•Physical Review Letters•Dec 26, 2025•0 citations

Thermalisation, correlations and entanglement in Bose-Einstein condensates

Andrew J. Ferris

This thesis investigates thermalisation, correlations and entanglement in Bose-Einstein condensates. Bose-Einstein condensates are ultra-cold collections of identical bosonic atoms which accumulate in a single quantum state, forming a mesoscopic quantum object. They are clean and controllable quantum many-body systems that permit an unprecedented degree of experimental flexibility compared to other physical systems. Further, a tractable microscopic theory exists which allows a direct and powerful comparison between theory and experiment, propelling the field of quantum atom optics forward at an incredible pace. Here we explore some of the fundamental frontiers of the field, examining how non-classical correlations and entanglement can be created and measured, as well as how non-classical effects can lead to the rapid heating of atom clouds. We first investigate correlations between two weakly coupled condensates, a system analogous to a superconducting Josephson junction. The ground state of this system contains non-classical number correlation arising from the repulsion between the atoms. Such states are of interest because they may lead to more precise measurement devices such as atomic gyroscopes. Unfortunately thermal fluctuations can destroy these correlations, and great care is needed to experimentally observe non-classical effects. We show that adiabatic evolution can drive the isolated quantum system out of thermal equilibrium and decrease thermal noise, in agreement with a recent experiment [Esteve et al. Nature 455, 1216 (2008)]. This technique may be valuable for observing and using quantum correlated states in the future. Next, we analyse the rapid heating that occurs when a condensate is placed in a moving periodic potential. The dynamical instability responsible for the heating was the subject of much uncertainty, which we suggest was due to the inability of the mean-field approximation to account for important spontaneous scattering processes. We show that a model including non-classical spontaneous scattering can describe dynamical instabilities correctly in each of the regimes where they have been observed, and in particular we compare our simulations to an experiment performed at the University of Otago deep inside the spontaneous scattering regime. Finally, we proposed a method to create and detect entangled atomic wave-packets. Entangled atoms are interesting from a fundamental perspective, and may prove useful in future quantum information and precision measurement technologies. Entanglement is generated by interactions, such as atomic collisions in Bose-Einstein condensates. We analyse the type of entanglement generated via atomic collisions and introduce an abstract scheme for detecting entanglement and demonstrating the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox with ultra-cold atoms. We further this result by proposing an experiment where entangled wave-packets are created and detected. The entanglement is generated by the pairwise scattering that causes the instabilities in moving periodic potentials mentioned above. By careful arrangement, the instability process can be controlled to to produce two well-defined atomic wave-packets. The presence of entanglement can be proven by applying a series of laser pulses to interfere the wave-packets and then measuring the output populations. Realising this experiment is feasible with current technology.

•Mar 1, 2009•0 citations

Entanglement harvesting with coherently delocalized matter

Nadine Stritzelberger, Laura J. Henderson, Valentina Baccetti +2 more

We study entanglement harvesting for matter systems such as atoms, ions or molecules whose center of mass degrees of freedom are quantum delocalized and which couple to a relativistic quantum field. We employ a generalized Unruh-deWitt detector model for the light-matter interaction, and we investigate how the coherent spreading of the quantum center of mass wave function of two delocalized detector systems impacts their ability to become entangled with one another, via their respective interaction with a quantum field. For very massive detectors with initially highly localized centers of mass, we recover the results of entanglement harvesting for pointlike Unruh-deWitt detectors with classical center of mass degrees of freedom. We find that entanglement harvesting is Gaussian suppressed in the initial center of mass delocalization of the detectors. We further find that spatial smearing profiles, which are commonly employed to model the finite size of atoms due to their atomic orbitals, are not suited to model center of mass delocalization. Finally, for coherently delocalized detectors, we compare entanglement harvesting in the vacuum to entanglement harvesting in media. We find that entanglement harvesting is significantly suppressed in media in which the wave propagation speed is much smaller than the vacuum speed of light.

arXiv:2006.11291•Physical review. D/Physical review. D.•Jan 8, 2021•30 citations

Entanglement harvesting between two inertial Unruh-DeWitt detectors from nonvacuum quantum fluctuations

Dipankar Barman, Subhajit Barman, Bibhas Ranjan Majhi

It is a well-known fact that, in recent times, entanglement harvesting from the quantum field is being rigorously investigated further in flat and different curved backgrounds. The usually understood formulation studies the possibility of two uncorrelated Unruh-DeWitt detectors getting entangled over time due to the effects of quantum vacuum fluctuations. Our current work presents a thorough formulation to realize the entanglement harvesting from nonvacuum background fluctuations. In particular, we further consider single excitation field states and a pair of inertial detectors, respectively, in ($1+1$) and ($1+3$) dimensions for this investigation. Our main observation asserts that entanglement harvesting is suppressed compared to the vacuum fluctuations in this situation. Our other observations confirm a nonzero individual detector transition probability in this background and vanishing entanglement harvesting for parallel comoving detectors. We look into the characteristics of the harvested entanglement and discuss its dependence on different system parameters.

arXiv:2205.08505•Physical review. D/Physical review. D.•Aug 4, 2022•22 citations

Harvesting entanglement from the black hole vacuum

Laura J. Henderson, Robie A. Hennigar, Robert B. Mann +2 more

Abstract We implement the entanglement harvesting protocol, in which two Unruh–DeWitt detectors become entangled through local interactions with a quantum field, for the first time in the vicinity of a black hole. Our study, focusing on the BTZ black hole, reveals that black holes inhibit entanglement harvesting. For two detectors with fixed proper separation along the radial direction, we demonstrate that the entanglement harvested rapidly falls to zero as the detectors move closer to the horizon. This effect is a combination of black hole radiation and gravitational redshift, both generic properties of horizons, suggesting it is a general result for black holes.

arXiv:1712.10018•Classical and Quantum Gravity•Sep 19, 2018•119 citations
Abstract This study explores the transfer of nonclassical correlations from an ultra-cold atom system to a pair of pulsed laser beams. Through nondestructive local probe measurements, we introduce an alternative to destructive techniques for mapping Bose–Einstein Condensate (BEC) entanglement. Operating at ultra-low temperatures, BEC density fluctuations emulate a relativistic vacuum field. We show that lasers can serve as Unruh–DeWitt detectors for vacuum BEC phonons. A quantum vacuum holds intrinsic entanglement, transferable to distant probes briefly interacting with it—a phenomenon termed ‘entanglement harvesting’. Our study accomplishes two primary objectives: first, establishing a mathematical connection between a pair of pulsed laser probes interacting with an effective relativistic field and the entanglement harvesting protocol; and second, to closely examine the potential and persisting obstacles for realising this protocol in an ultra-cold atom experiment.
We theoretically propose an experimentally viable scheme to explore the transfer of nonclassical correlations from a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) to a pair of impurities immersed in it. Operating at ultra-low temperature, density fluctuations of the dipolar BEC emulate a vacuum field with Lorentz-violating dispersion, while the two impurities function as Unruh-DeWitt detectors for the BEC quasiparticles. We study the harvesting of entanglement from the quantum vacuum of this analogue Lorentz-violating quantum field by spatially separated Unruh-DeWitt detectors. Our analysis reveals key parameter dependencies that optimize the harvesting of entanglement. In particular, unlike the Lorentz-invariant case, smoother detector switchings does not enhance the entanglement harvesting efficiency from the Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum. Moreover, the strength of the Lorentz-invariant violation can shift the optimal energy structure of the detectors for harvesting entanglement from the Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum-a clear deviation from the Lorentz-invariant scenario. As a fundamental quantum mechanical setup, our quantum fluid platform provides an experimentally realizable testbed for examining the entanglement harvesting protocol from an effective Lorentz-violating quantum field vacuum using a pair of impurity probers, which may also has potential implications for exploring the Lorentz-invariant violation in quantum field theory.
We show that a bound impurity in a Bose-Einstein condensate can be directly mapped to an Unruh-DeWitt detector interacting with a relativistic quantum field. We provide explicit experimental parameters for an implementation using 41K{}^{41}\text{K}41K impurities coupled to a 87Rb{}^{87}\text{Rb}87Rb condensate via finite-time Feshbach tuning. As an application, we study the extraction of vacuum entanglement from distant regions of the condensate and find viable parameters for the implementation of entanglement harvesting.
This thesis investigates thermalisation, correlations and entanglement in Bose-Einstein condensates. Bose-Einstein condensates are ultra-cold collections of identical bosonic atoms which accumulate in a single quantum state, forming a mesoscopic quantum object. They are clean and controllable quantum many-body systems that permit an unprecedented degree of experimental flexibility compared to other physical systems. Further, a tractable microscopic theory exists which allows a direct and powerful comparison between theory and experiment, propelling the field of quantum atom optics forward at an incredible pace. Here we explore some of the fundamental frontiers of the field, examining how non-classical correlations and entanglement can be created and measured, as well as how non-classical effects can lead to the rapid heating of atom clouds. We first investigate correlations between two weakly coupled condensates, a system analogous to a superconducting Josephson junction. The ground state of this system contains non-classical number correlation arising from the repulsion between the atoms. Such states are of interest because they may lead to more precise measurement devices such as atomic gyroscopes. Unfortunately thermal fluctuations can destroy these correlations, and great care is needed to experimentally observe non-classical effects. We show that adiabatic evolution can drive the isolated quantum system out of thermal equilibrium and decrease thermal noise, in agreement with a recent experiment [Esteve et al. Nature 455, 1216 (2008)]. This technique may be valuable for observing and using quantum correlated states in the future. Next, we analyse the rapid heating that occurs when a condensate is placed in a moving periodic potential. The dynamical instability responsible for the heating was the subject of much uncertainty, which we suggest was due to the inability of the mean-field approximation to account for important spontaneous scattering processes. We show that a model including non-classical spontaneous scattering can describe dynamical instabilities correctly in each of the regimes where they have been observed, and in particular we compare our simulations to an experiment performed at the University of Otago deep inside the spontaneous scattering regime. Finally, we proposed a method to create and detect entangled atomic wave-packets. Entangled atoms are interesting from a fundamental perspective, and may prove useful in future quantum information and precision measurement technologies. Entanglement is generated by interactions, such as atomic collisions in Bose-Einstein condensates. We analyse the type of entanglement generated via atomic collisions and introduce an abstract scheme for detecting entanglement and demonstrating the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox with ultra-cold atoms. We further this result by proposing an experiment where entangled wave-packets are created and detected. The entanglement is generated by the pairwise scattering that causes the instabilities in moving periodic potentials mentioned above. By careful arrangement, the instability process can be controlled to to produce two well-defined atomic wave-packets. The presence of entanglement can be proven by applying a series of laser pulses to interfere the wave-packets and then measuring the output populations. Realising this experiment is feasible with current technology.
We study entanglement harvesting for matter systems such as atoms, ions or molecules whose center of mass degrees of freedom are quantum delocalized and which couple to a relativistic quantum field. We employ a generalized Unruh-deWitt detector model for the light-matter interaction, and we investigate how the coherent spreading of the quantum center of mass wave function of two delocalized detector systems impacts their ability to become entangled with one another, via their respective interaction with a quantum field. For very massive detectors with initially highly localized centers of mass, we recover the results of entanglement harvesting for pointlike Unruh-deWitt detectors with classical center of mass degrees of freedom. We find that entanglement harvesting is Gaussian suppressed in the initial center of mass delocalization of the detectors. We further find that spatial smearing profiles, which are commonly employed to model the finite size of atoms due to their atomic orbitals, are not suited to model center of mass delocalization. Finally, for coherently delocalized detectors, we compare entanglement harvesting in the vacuum to entanglement harvesting in media. We find that entanglement harvesting is significantly suppressed in media in which the wave propagation speed is much smaller than the vacuum speed of light.
It is a well-known fact that, in recent times, entanglement harvesting from the quantum field is being rigorously investigated further in flat and different curved backgrounds. The usually understood formulation studies the possibility of two uncorrelated Unruh-DeWitt detectors getting entangled over time due to the effects of quantum vacuum fluctuations. Our current work presents a thorough formulation to realize the entanglement harvesting from nonvacuum background fluctuations. In particular, we further consider single excitation field states and a pair of inertial detectors, respectively, in (1+11+11+1) and (1+31+31+3) dimensions for this investigation. Our main observation asserts that entanglement harvesting is suppressed compared to the vacuum fluctuations in this situation. Our other observations confirm a nonzero individual detector transition probability in this background and vanishing entanglement harvesting for parallel comoving detectors. We look into the characteristics of the harvested entanglement and discuss its dependence on different system parameters.
Abstract We implement the entanglement harvesting protocol, in which two Unruh–DeWitt detectors become entangled through local interactions with a quantum field, for the first time in the vicinity of a black hole. Our study, focusing on the BTZ black hole, reveals that black holes inhibit entanglement harvesting. For two detectors with fixed proper separation along the radial direction, we demonstrate that the entanglement harvested rapidly falls to zero as the detectors move closer to the horizon. This effect is a combination of black hole radiation and gravitational redshift, both generic properties of horizons, suggesting it is a general result for black holes.