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

Physical Review Letters

Atoms in the Lowest Motional Band of a Three-Dimensional Optical Lattice

T. Müller-Seydlitz, M. Hartl, B. Brezger, Helmut Hänsel, C. Keller, A. Schnetz, R. J. C. Spreeuw, Tilman Pfau, J. Mlynek

Published Feb 10, 1997• 64 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigate the storage of atoms in an optical lattice, using light detuned up to 2 nm to the blue of an atomic transition. Argon atoms were laser cooled in the metastable state ${1s}_{5}(J\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}2$) and optically pumped to the state ${1s}_{3}(J\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0$). Subsequently these atoms were confined to the nodes of a three-dimensional interference pattern and stored for up to 1 s. We resolved the bands of motion in the lattice using a time-of-flight technique, and observed band-dependent losses leading to the preparation of atoms in the motional ground band.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.78.1038

Related papers

Atoms in non-dissipative optical lattices

S. Bergamini

Optical lattices induced by light detuned far from the frequency of any atomic resonance transition are ideal systems in which to develop techniques for the coherent control of atomic motional and internal states. Decoherence arising from spontaneous emission can be eliminated to an arbitrary degree by varying the detuning of the optical field. The atoms trapped in these lattices are to a large extent isolated from environmental disturbances and from each other. The first step towards the coherent control of atoms in a far-detuned lattice is their preparation in a single motional state. In this thesis the preparation of atoms in the ground vibrational state of a two-dimensional far-detuned optical lattice via resolved-sideband Raman cooling is presented. This sideband-cooling scheme involves stimulated Raman transitions between bound vibrational states of a pair of magnetic ground state sublevels, followed by an irreversible step due to optical pumping, resulting in a net loss of one quantum of vibrational energy per cooling cycle. This process provides efficient cooling in two-dimensions and leads to the accumulation of a large fraction of atoms in the 2-D ground vibrational state of a potential well associated with a single Zeeman substate. Experiments aimed at improving and monitoring the characteristics of the lar-detuned lattice and the sideband-Raman cooling efficiency are also described. Parametric excitation experiments and modelling are employed to investigate the degree of anharmonicity of the optical potential and the importance of heating induced by laser intensity noise, whilst Zeeman-state analysis of the sample is performed for monitoring the distribution of atoms over different magnetic sub- states. Finally, spin-polarization experiments are carried out in order to study the paramagnetic properties of the lattice and lead to an evaluation of a spin-temperature for the sample.

•Jan 1, 2002•0 citations

Investigation of temperatures in a blue detuned three-dimensional optical lattice

Harald Ellmann, Johan Jersblad, Anders Kastberg

Summary form only given. We have performed a detailed study of the steady-state temperature and other parameters in a three-dimensional optical lattice for a wide range of detunings. Specifically we have investigated the situation with the detuned blue light of a J-J transition, and configurations where several allowed transitions may influence the results. We load a chirp cooled Cs-beam into a magneto-optical trap, cool the atoms in an optical molasses and load them into a four-beam three-dimensional optical lattice. The lattice beams are detuned below the transition between the states 6s/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/, F=4 and 6p/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/, F' =5, at 852 nm. The detuning is varied from -5/spl Gamma/ (where /spl Gamma//2/spl pi/=5.22 MHz is the natural linewidth of the transition) all the way to the F=4/spl rarr/F'=4 transition, located -48.3/spl Gamma/ away. For each detuning we let the atoms equilibrate in the lattice, and measure the steady-state temperature by a time of flight technique.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Jan 1, 2000•0 citations

Quantum state preparation in an optical lattice

S. E. Hamann

This dissertation reports on quantum state preparation of cesium atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice, by resolved-sideband Raman cooling. An optical lattice is a periodic potential produced by the light shift interaction between an atom and light field. Laser cooled atoms can become strongly localized about the bottom of potential wells in an optical lattice, where they occupy a discrete spectrum of bound vibrational energy levels. The distribution over vibrational levels of atoms in the lattice is characterized by the mean vibrational excitation, n . In an optical lattice, absorption and emission of photons from lattice beams causes n to increase in time. This source of heating is always present, but its rate can be greatly reduced in a lattice detuned far from the atomic resonance. Sideband cooling is an efficient means of transferring atoms from higher into lower-lying vibrational levels and, thus, it reduces n for the ensemble. If the sideband cooling rate is much greater than the heating rate, then n approaches zero and virtually all atoms are in the lowest vibrational level in their potential wells. Our sideband cooling scheme involves stimulated Raman transitions between bound states in the potential wells of a pair of magnetic sublevels, followed by optical pumping, for a net loss of one quantum of vibration per cooling cycle. The process accumulates 98% of atoms in the ground vibrational level of a potential well associated with a single Zeeman substate. Each atom in the lattice is then very close to a pure state. For two-dimensional lattice with sideband cooling we find nx≈ny≈0.008 &parl0;16&parr0; . Various issues related to state preparation and sideband cooling are also discussed in the context of a one dimensional lin ⊥ lin optical lattice. These include improvement of laser cooling in a near resonance lattice by application of weak magnetic fields, transfer of atoms from near into far off-resonance lattices, and heating rates in far off-resonance lattices.

•Jan 1, 1998•1 citation

Photonic band gaps in optical lattices

Ivan Deutsch, R. J. C. Spreeuw, S. L. Rolston +1 more

We study photonic band gaps in a one-dimensional optical lattice of laser-cooled trapped atoms. We solve for the self-consistent equilibrium positions of the atoms, accounting for the backaction of the atoms on the trapping beams. This solution depends strongly on the sign of the trapping laser detuning. For red-detuned trapping lasers, the resulting lattice exhibits a one-dimensional photonic band gap for frequencies between the trapping laser frequency and the atomic resonance. For blue detuning the stop band extends symmetrically about resonance, typically for hundreds of atomic linewidths, except for the small region between atomic resonance and the lattice frequency, which is excluded. We calculate the reflection spectrum for a lattice of Cs atoms for various trapping laser detunings and interpret its behavior as a function of the lattice size and density. For a mean density of ${10}^{11}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$, and 1000 planes, 55% reflection of a weak probe beam should be observed. We also consider Bragg scattering in a three-dimensional optical lattice as a means of probing the long-range order in the atomic density correlation function.

Physical Review A•Aug 1, 1995•196 citations

All-optical gray lattice for atoms

H. Stecher, Helmut Ritsch, P. Zoller +3 more

We create a gray optical lattice structure using a blue detuned laser field coupling an atomic ground state of angular momentum J simultaneously to two excited states with angular momenta J and J-1. The atoms are cooled and trapped at locations of purely circular polarization. The cooling process efficiently accumulates almost half of the atomic population in the lowest-energy band, which is only weakly coupled to the light field. Very low kinetic temperatures are obtained by adiabatically reducing the optical potential. The dynamics of this process is analyzed using a full quantum Monte Carlo simulation. The calculations explicitly show the mapping of the band populations on the corresponding momentum intervals of the free atom. In an experiment with subrecoil momentum resolution we measure the band populations and find excellent absolute agreement with the theoretical calculations.

arXiv:physics/9611020•Physical Review A•Jan 1, 1997•23 citations

Trapping Atoms in a Dark Optical Lattice

Andreas Hemmerich, Matthias Weidemüller, Tilman Esslinger +2 more

We demonstrate a new type of optical lattice which confines atoms in nearly dark states. The lattice is formed by cooperation of an optical standing wave detuned to the blue with respect to an atomic $F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1$ transition and a homogeneous magnetic field. The atoms are predominantly localized where the light is purely $\ensuremath{\pi}$ polarized such that they are optically pumped to the ${m}_{F}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0$ Zeeman component which is decoupled from the light field. We have observed quantized vibrations of the localized atoms by means of probe transmission spectroscopy. Our ``dark'' optical lattice works in two and three dimensions.

Physical Review Letters•Jul 3, 1995•89 citations
We investigate the storage of atoms in an optical lattice, using light detuned up to 2 nm to the blue of an atomic transition. Argon atoms were laser cooled in the metastable state 1s5(J=2{1s}_{5}(J\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}21s5​(J=2) and optically pumped to the state 1s3(J=0{1s}_{3}(J\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}01s3​(J=0). Subsequently these atoms were confined to the nodes of a three-dimensional interference pattern and stored for up to 1 s. We resolved the bands of motion in the lattice using a time-of-flight technique, and observed band-dependent losses leading to the preparation of atoms in the motional ground band.
Optical lattices induced by light detuned far from the frequency of any atomic resonance transition are ideal systems in which to develop techniques for the coherent control of atomic motional and internal states. Decoherence arising from spontaneous emission can be eliminated to an arbitrary degree by varying the detuning of the optical field. The atoms trapped in these lattices are to a large extent isolated from environmental disturbances and from each other. The first step towards the coherent control of atoms in a far-detuned lattice is their preparation in a single motional state. In this thesis the preparation of atoms in the ground vibrational state of a two-dimensional far-detuned optical lattice via resolved-sideband Raman cooling is presented. This sideband-cooling scheme involves stimulated Raman transitions between bound vibrational states of a pair of magnetic ground state sublevels, followed by an irreversible step due to optical pumping, resulting in a net loss of one quantum of vibrational energy per cooling cycle. This process provides efficient cooling in two-dimensions and leads to the accumulation of a large fraction of atoms in the 2-D ground vibrational state of a potential well associated with a single Zeeman substate. Experiments aimed at improving and monitoring the characteristics of the lar-detuned lattice and the sideband-Raman cooling efficiency are also described. Parametric excitation experiments and modelling are employed to investigate the degree of anharmonicity of the optical potential and the importance of heating induced by laser intensity noise, whilst Zeeman-state analysis of the sample is performed for monitoring the distribution of atoms over different magnetic sub- states. Finally, spin-polarization experiments are carried out in order to study the paramagnetic properties of the lattice and lead to an evaluation of a spin-temperature for the sample.
Summary form only given. We have performed a detailed study of the steady-state temperature and other parameters in a three-dimensional optical lattice for a wide range of detunings. Specifically we have investigated the situation with the detuned blue light of a J-J transition, and configurations where several allowed transitions may influence the results. We load a chirp cooled Cs-beam into a magneto-optical trap, cool the atoms in an optical molasses and load them into a four-beam three-dimensional optical lattice. The lattice beams are detuned below the transition between the states 6s/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/, F=4 and 6p/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/, F' =5, at 852 nm. The detuning is varied from -5/spl Gamma/ (where /spl Gamma//2/spl pi/=5.22 MHz is the natural linewidth of the transition) all the way to the F=4/spl rarr/F'=4 transition, located -48.3/spl Gamma/ away. For each detuning we let the atoms equilibrate in the lattice, and measure the steady-state temperature by a time of flight technique.
This dissertation reports on quantum state preparation of cesium atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice, by resolved-sideband Raman cooling. An optical lattice is a periodic potential produced by the light shift interaction between an atom and light field. Laser cooled atoms can become strongly localized about the bottom of potential wells in an optical lattice, where they occupy a discrete spectrum of bound vibrational energy levels. The distribution over vibrational levels of atoms in the lattice is characterized by the mean vibrational excitation, n . In an optical lattice, absorption and emission of photons from lattice beams causes n to increase in time. This source of heating is always present, but its rate can be greatly reduced in a lattice detuned far from the atomic resonance. Sideband cooling is an efficient means of transferring atoms from higher into lower-lying vibrational levels and, thus, it reduces n for the ensemble. If the sideband cooling rate is much greater than the heating rate, then n approaches zero and virtually all atoms are in the lowest vibrational level in their potential wells. Our sideband cooling scheme involves stimulated Raman transitions between bound states in the potential wells of a pair of magnetic sublevels, followed by optical pumping, for a net loss of one quantum of vibration per cooling cycle. The process accumulates 98% of atoms in the ground vibrational level of a potential well associated with a single Zeeman substate. Each atom in the lattice is then very close to a pure state. For two-dimensional lattice with sideband cooling we find nx≈ny≈0.008 &parl0;16&parr0; . Various issues related to state preparation and sideband cooling are also discussed in the context of a one dimensional lin ⊥ lin optical lattice. These include improvement of laser cooling in a near resonance lattice by application of weak magnetic fields, transfer of atoms from near into far off-resonance lattices, and heating rates in far off-resonance lattices.
We study photonic band gaps in a one-dimensional optical lattice of laser-cooled trapped atoms. We solve for the self-consistent equilibrium positions of the atoms, accounting for the backaction of the atoms on the trapping beams. This solution depends strongly on the sign of the trapping laser detuning. For red-detuned trapping lasers, the resulting lattice exhibits a one-dimensional photonic band gap for frequencies between the trapping laser frequency and the atomic resonance. For blue detuning the stop band extends symmetrically about resonance, typically for hundreds of atomic linewidths, except for the small region between atomic resonance and the lattice frequency, which is excluded. We calculate the reflection spectrum for a lattice of Cs atoms for various trapping laser detunings and interpret its behavior as a function of the lattice size and density. For a mean density of 1011{10}^{11}1011 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$, and 1000 planes, 55% reflection of a weak probe beam should be observed. We also consider Bragg scattering in a three-dimensional optical lattice as a means of probing the long-range order in the atomic density correlation function.
We create a gray optical lattice structure using a blue detuned laser field coupling an atomic ground state of angular momentum J simultaneously to two excited states with angular momenta J and J-1. The atoms are cooled and trapped at locations of purely circular polarization. The cooling process efficiently accumulates almost half of the atomic population in the lowest-energy band, which is only weakly coupled to the light field. Very low kinetic temperatures are obtained by adiabatically reducing the optical potential. The dynamics of this process is analyzed using a full quantum Monte Carlo simulation. The calculations explicitly show the mapping of the band populations on the corresponding momentum intervals of the free atom. In an experiment with subrecoil momentum resolution we measure the band populations and find excellent absolute agreement with the theoretical calculations.
We demonstrate a new type of optical lattice which confines atoms in nearly dark states. The lattice is formed by cooperation of an optical standing wave detuned to the blue with respect to an atomic $F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}F\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1$ transition and a homogeneous magnetic field. The atoms are predominantly localized where the light is purely $\ensuremath{\pi}$ polarized such that they are optically pumped to the mF=0{m}_{F}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0mF​=0 Zeeman component which is decoupled from the light field. We have observed quantized vibrations of the localized atoms by means of probe transmission spectroscopy. Our ``dark'' optical lattice works in two and three dimensions.