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:cond-mat/0611690 · Physical Review Letters

Collective Excitations and Instability of an Optical Lattice due to Unbalanced Pumping

János K. Asbóth, Helmut Ritsch, P. Domokos

Published May 18, 2007• 21 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We solve self-consistently the coupled equations of motion for trapped particles and the field of a one-dimensional optical lattice. Optomechanical coupling creates long-range interaction between the particles, whose nature depends crucially on the relative power of the pump beams. For asymmetric pumping, traveling density wavelike collective oscillations arise in the lattice, even in the overdamped limit. By increasing the lattice size or pump asymmetry, these waves can destabilize the lattice.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.98.203008

Related papers

Optomechanical coupling in a one-dimensional optical lattice

János K. Asbóth, Helmut Ritsch, P. Domokos

In a recent paper [J. K. Asboth et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 203008 (2007)] we have shown that traveling density wavelike collective oscillations can arise in an asymmetrically pumped optical lattice, and by increasing the lattice size or pump asymmetry, these waves can destabilize the structure even in the overdamped limit. The long-range interaction giving rise to collective motion stems from the back-action of the atoms on the field creating the lattice. In this paper we present a detailed description of these phenomena. We derive the force on a disk-shaped cloud of trapped particles including the back-action on the trapping light, and analyze its relation to the standard perturbative approach giving the ``dipole force'' and ``radiation pressure.'' We calculate the self-consistent lattice constant for both red and blue detuned lattices and find that it decreases---by the same amount in the two cases---as the pump asymmetry is increased. We present the detailed derivation of the lattice vibration eigenmodes using the transfer matrix method, which reveals that the instability is enhanced resonantly at certain settings of the asymmetry.

Physical Review A•Jun 30, 2008•47 citations

Atoms Oscillate Collectively in Large Optical Lattice

Helmut Ritsch

We observe effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system.In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms as well as between atoms and a micromechanical membrane oscillator.For large atom numbers we observe an instability in the coupled system, resulting in large-amplitude atommembrane oscillations.We show that this behavior can be explained by light-mediated collective atomic motion in the lattice, which arises for large atom numbers, small atom-light detunings, and asymmetric pumping of the lattice, in agreement with previous theoretical work.The model connects the optomechanical instability to a phase delay in the global atomic backaction onto the lattice light, which we observe in a direct measurement.

Physics•Feb 14, 2018•2 citations

Light-Mediated Collective Atomic Motion in an Optical Lattice Coupled to a Membrane

Aline Vochezer, Tobias Kampschulte, Klemens Hammerer +1 more

We observe effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system. In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms as well as between atoms and a micromechanical membrane oscillator. For large atom numbers we observe an instability in the coupled system, resulting in large-amplitude atom-membrane oscillations. We show that this behavior can be explained by light-mediated collective atomic motion in the lattice, which arises for large atom numbers, small atom-light detunings, and asymmetric pumping of the lattice, in agreement with previous theoretical work. The model connects the optomechanical instability to a phase delay in the global atomic backaction onto the lattice light, which we observe in a direct measurement.

arXiv:1705.10098•Physical Review Letters•Feb 14, 2018•30 citations

Light-mediated collective atomic motion in a hybrid atom-optomechanical system

Aline Vochezer, Tobias Kampschulte, Klemens Hammerer +1 more

We observe effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system. In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms as well as between atoms and a micromechanical membrane oscillator. For large atom numbers we observe an instability in the coupled system, resulting in large-amplitude atom-membrane oscillations. We show that this behavior can be explained by light-mediated collective atomic motion in the lattice, which arises for large atom number, small atom-light detuning and asymmetric pumping of the lattice, in agreement with previous theoretical work. The model connects the optomechanical instability to a phase delay in the global atomic back-action onto the lattice light, which we observe in a direct measurement.

•May 29, 2017•0 citations

Self-organization of atoms coupled to a chiral reservoir

Zachary Eldredge, Pablo Solano, Darrick E. Chang +1 more

Tightly confined modes of light, as in optical nanofibers or photonic crystal waveguides, can lead to large optical coupling in atomic systems, which mediates long-range interactions between atoms. These one-dimensional systems can naturally possess couplings that are asymmetric between modes propagating in different directions. Strong long-range interaction among atoms via these modes can drive them to a self-organized periodic distribution. In this paper, we examine the self-organizing behavior of atoms in one dimension coupled to a chiral reservoir. We determine the solution to the equations of motion in different parameter regimes, relative to both the detuning of the pump laser that initializes the atomic dipole-dipole interactions and the degree of reservoir chirality. In addition, we calculate possible experimental signatures such as reflectivity from self-organized atoms and motional sidebands.

arXiv:1605.06522•Physical Review A•Nov 29, 2016•15 citations

Multistable particle-field dynamics in cavity-generated optical lattices

Dominik J. Winterauer, Wolfgang Niedenzu, Helmut Ritsch

Polarizable particles trapped in a resonator-sustained optical-lattice potential generate strong position-dependent backaction on the intracavity field. In the quantum regime, particles in different energy bands are connected to different intracavity light intensities and optical-lattice depths. This generates a highly nonlinear coupled particle-field dynamics. For a given pump strength and detuning, a factorizing mean-field approach predicts several self-consistent stationary solutions of strongly distinct photon numbers and motional states. Quantum Monte Carlo wave-function simulations of the master equation confirm these predictions and reveal complex multimodal photon-number and particle-momentum distributions. Using larger nanoparticles in such a setup thus constitutes a well-controllable playground to study nonlinear quantum dynamics and the buildup of macroscopic quantum superpositions at the quantum-classical boundary.

arXiv:1503.07044•Physical Review A•May 18, 2015•9 citations
We solve self-consistently the coupled equations of motion for trapped particles and the field of a one-dimensional optical lattice. Optomechanical coupling creates long-range interaction between the particles, whose nature depends crucially on the relative power of the pump beams. For asymmetric pumping, traveling density wavelike collective oscillations arise in the lattice, even in the overdamped limit. By increasing the lattice size or pump asymmetry, these waves can destabilize the lattice.
In a recent paper [J. K. Asboth et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 203008 (2007)] we have shown that traveling density wavelike collective oscillations can arise in an asymmetrically pumped optical lattice, and by increasing the lattice size or pump asymmetry, these waves can destabilize the structure even in the overdamped limit. The long-range interaction giving rise to collective motion stems from the back-action of the atoms on the field creating the lattice. In this paper we present a detailed description of these phenomena. We derive the force on a disk-shaped cloud of trapped particles including the back-action on the trapping light, and analyze its relation to the standard perturbative approach giving the ``dipole force'' and ``radiation pressure.'' We calculate the self-consistent lattice constant for both red and blue detuned lattices and find that it decreases---by the same amount in the two cases---as the pump asymmetry is increased. We present the detailed derivation of the lattice vibration eigenmodes using the transfer matrix method, which reveals that the instability is enhanced resonantly at certain settings of the asymmetry.
We observe effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system.In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms as well as between atoms and a micromechanical membrane oscillator.For large atom numbers we observe an instability in the coupled system, resulting in large-amplitude atommembrane oscillations.We show that this behavior can be explained by light-mediated collective atomic motion in the lattice, which arises for large atom numbers, small atom-light detunings, and asymmetric pumping of the lattice, in agreement with previous theoretical work.The model connects the optomechanical instability to a phase delay in the global atomic backaction onto the lattice light, which we observe in a direct measurement.
We observe effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system. In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms as well as between atoms and a micromechanical membrane oscillator. For large atom numbers we observe an instability in the coupled system, resulting in large-amplitude atom-membrane oscillations. We show that this behavior can be explained by light-mediated collective atomic motion in the lattice, which arises for large atom numbers, small atom-light detunings, and asymmetric pumping of the lattice, in agreement with previous theoretical work. The model connects the optomechanical instability to a phase delay in the global atomic backaction onto the lattice light, which we observe in a direct measurement.
We observe effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system. In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms as well as between atoms and a micromechanical membrane oscillator. For large atom numbers we observe an instability in the coupled system, resulting in large-amplitude atom-membrane oscillations. We show that this behavior can be explained by light-mediated collective atomic motion in the lattice, which arises for large atom number, small atom-light detuning and asymmetric pumping of the lattice, in agreement with previous theoretical work. The model connects the optomechanical instability to a phase delay in the global atomic back-action onto the lattice light, which we observe in a direct measurement.
Tightly confined modes of light, as in optical nanofibers or photonic crystal waveguides, can lead to large optical coupling in atomic systems, which mediates long-range interactions between atoms. These one-dimensional systems can naturally possess couplings that are asymmetric between modes propagating in different directions. Strong long-range interaction among atoms via these modes can drive them to a self-organized periodic distribution. In this paper, we examine the self-organizing behavior of atoms in one dimension coupled to a chiral reservoir. We determine the solution to the equations of motion in different parameter regimes, relative to both the detuning of the pump laser that initializes the atomic dipole-dipole interactions and the degree of reservoir chirality. In addition, we calculate possible experimental signatures such as reflectivity from self-organized atoms and motional sidebands.
Polarizable particles trapped in a resonator-sustained optical-lattice potential generate strong position-dependent backaction on the intracavity field. In the quantum regime, particles in different energy bands are connected to different intracavity light intensities and optical-lattice depths. This generates a highly nonlinear coupled particle-field dynamics. For a given pump strength and detuning, a factorizing mean-field approach predicts several self-consistent stationary solutions of strongly distinct photon numbers and motional states. Quantum Monte Carlo wave-function simulations of the master equation confirm these predictions and reveal complex multimodal photon-number and particle-momentum distributions. Using larger nanoparticles in such a setup thus constitutes a well-controllable playground to study nonlinear quantum dynamics and the buildup of macroscopic quantum superpositions at the quantum-classical boundary.