Coherence Freeze in an Optical Lattice Investigated Via Pump-Probe Spectroscopy
Samansa Maneshi, Chao Zhuang, Christopher R. Paul +2 more
Motivated by our observation of fast echo decay and a surprising coherence freeze, we have developed a pump-probe spectroscopy technique for vibrational states of 85Rb atoms in an optical lattice to gain information about the memory dynamics of the system. We monitor the time-dependent changes of frequencies experienced by atoms and characterize the probability distribution of these frequency trajectories. We show that the inferred distribution, unlike a naive microscopic model of the lattice, correctly predicts the main features of the observed echo decay.
arXiv:1005.2635•Physical Review Letters•Nov 4, 2010•6 citations