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Inducing Vortices in a Bose-Einstein Condensate Using Holographically Produced Light Beams

Brachmann, Johannes, Waseem Bakr, Jonathon I. Gillen, Peng, Amy, Markus Greiner

Published Jan 1, 2011• 31 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In this paper we demonstrate a technique that can create non-equilibrium vortex configurations with almost arbitrary charge and geometry in a Bose-Einstein condensate. We coherently transfer orbital angular momentum from a holographically generated light beam to a 87Rb condensate using a two-photon stimulated Raman process. Using matter wave interferometry, we verify the phase pattern imprinted onto the atomic wave function for a single vortex and a vortex-antivortex pair. In addition to their phase winding, the vortices created with this technique have an associated hyperfine spin texture.

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Phase imprinting of vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates using shaped light

Jasper Smits

Vorticity in superfluids has been studied for decades. In atomic BECs, vorticity was induced by stirring with laser beams. In this thesis, phase imprinting is introduced as an alternative method to induce vorticity in a BEC. By using a Liquid Crystal-on-Silicon spatial light modulator the phase of a laser beam can be shaped into any spatial profile, limited only by the imaging resolution. By using this shaped light in a two-photon Raman transfer, the phase of the electromagnetic field is transferred on to the Bose-condensed atoms.\n\nSimulations are performed for light containing a single phase winding, taking into account that the vortex in this beam has a finite vortex core size due to limited imaging resolution. It follows that the finite core size has an incomplete transfer as a result, but the phase winding is imprinted on to the atoms transferred to the second component.\n\nAlso, experimentally the two-photon Raman transition which is needed has been realised. However, the transfer process is impeded by a different two-photon process occuring at the same time, and by superradiant Rayleigh scattering. Recommendations are given to suppress these effects and successfully imprint the phase from the shaped light on to the atoms.

•Jan 1, 2016•0 citations
In this paper we demonstrate a technique that can create non-equilibrium vortex configurations with almost arbitrary charge and geometry in a Bose-Einstein condensate. We coherently transfer orbital angular momentum from a holographically generated light beam to a 87Rb condensate using a two-photon stimulated Raman process. Using matter wave interferometry, we verify the phase pattern imprinted onto the atomic wave function for a single vortex and a vortex-antivortex pair. In addition to their phase winding, the vortices created with this technique have an associated hyperfine spin texture.
In this paper we demonstrate a technique that can create non-equilibrium vortex configurations with almost arbitrary charge and geometry in a Bose-Einstein condensate. We coherently transfer orbital angular momentum from a holographically generated light beam to a 87Rb condensate using a two-photon stimulated Raman process. Using matter wave interferometry, we verify the phase pattern imprinted onto the atomic wave function for a single vortex and a vortex-antivortex pair. In addition to their phase winding, the vortices created with this technique have an associated hyperfine spin texture.
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 propose a scheme for the generation of arbitrary coherent superpositions of vortex states in Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) using the orbital-angular-momentum states of light. We devise a scheme to generate coherent superpositions of two such counterrotating states of light using well-known experimental techniques. We show that a specially designed Raman scheme allows for transfer of the optical vortex-superposition state onto an initially nonrotating BEC. This creates an arbitrary and coherent superposition of a vortex and antivortex pair in the BEC. The ideas presented here could be extended to generate entangled vortex states, design memories for the orbital-angular-momentum states of light, and perform other quantum information tasks. Applications to inertial sensing are also discussed.
We demonstrate the coherent transfer of the orbital angular momentum of a photon to an atom in quantized units of variant Planck's over 2pi, 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 recently proposed a scheme for the creation of coherent superpositions of vortex states in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using orbital angular momentum (OAM) states of light [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 173601 (2005)]. Here we discuss further technical details of the proposal, provide an alternative, time-reversal-symmetric scheme for transfer of a superposition of OAM states of light to the BEC via a procedure analogous to the traditional stimulated Raman adiabatic passage technique, and discuss an alternative trap configuration conducive for sustaining large charge vortices. Superpositions of OAM states of light, that can be created using the existing experimental techniques, can be transferred to an initially nonrotating BEC via a specially devised Raman coupling scheme. The techniques proposed here open up avenues to study coherent interaction of OAM states of light with matter. The study could also be employed for performing various quantum-information-processing tasks with OAM states of light---including a memory for a quantum state of the initial superposition.
Vorticity in superfluids has been studied for decades. In atomic BECs, vorticity was induced by stirring with laser beams. In this thesis, phase imprinting is introduced as an alternative method to induce vorticity in a BEC. By using a Liquid Crystal-on-Silicon spatial light modulator the phase of a laser beam can be shaped into any spatial profile, limited only by the imaging resolution. By using this shaped light in a two-photon Raman transfer, the phase of the electromagnetic field is transferred on to the Bose-condensed atoms.\n\nSimulations are performed for light containing a single phase winding, taking into account that the vortex in this beam has a finite vortex core size due to limited imaging resolution. It follows that the finite core size has an incomplete transfer as a result, but the phase winding is imprinted on to the atoms transferred to the second component.\n\nAlso, experimentally the two-photon Raman transition which is needed has been realised. However, the transfer process is impeded by a different two-photon process occuring at the same time, and by superradiant Rayleigh scattering. Recommendations are given to suppress these effects and successfully imprint the phase from the shaped light on to the atoms.