Cold atom–ion experiments in hybrid traps

Härter, A.; Denschlag, Johannes Hecker

doi:10.1080/00107514.2013.854618

Cited by 147 publications

(183 citation statements)

References 80 publications

(125 reference statements)

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“…In recent years, the physics of hybrid atom-ion systems has attracted more and more attention both theoretically and experimentally [1]. Separately, both systems can be superbly controlled with an unprecedented accuracy at the single-particle as well as at the multi-particle level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ground-state properties of ultracold trapped bosons with an immersed ionic impurity

2014

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We consider a trapped atomic ensemble of interacting bosons in the presence of a single trapped ion in a quasi-one-dimensional geometry. Our study is carried out by means of the newly developed multilayer-multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree method for bosons, a numerical exact approach to simulate quantum many-body dynamics. In particular, we are interested in the scenario by which the ion is so strongly trapped that its motion can be effectively neglected. This enables us to focus on the atomic ensemble only. With the development of a model potential for the atom-ion interaction, we are able to numerically obtain the exact many-body ground state of the atomic ensemble in the presence of an ion. We analyze the influence of the atom number and the atom-atom interaction on the ground state properties. Interestingly, for weakly interacting atoms, we find that the ion impedes the transition from the ideal gas behavior to the Thomas-Fermi limit. Furthermore, we show that this effect can be exploited to infer the presence of the ion both in the momentum distribution of the atomic cloud and by observing the interference fringes occurring during an expansion of the quantum gas. In the strong interacting regime, the ion modifies the fragmentation process in dependence of the atom number parity which allows a clear identification of the latter in expansion experiments. Hence, we propose in both regimes experimentally viable strategies to assess the impact of the ion on the many-body state of the atomic gas. This study serves as the first building block for systematically investigating the many-body physics of such hybrid system.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ground-state properties of ultracold trapped bosons with an immersed ionic impurity

2014

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“…Besides the artificial environment created in these experiments, this sort of processes plays an important role in the chemistry of interstellar space. Combined cold-ionneutral experiments also enable to unravel the detailed dynamics of collisions between three bodies, which are particularly important in dense media like Bose-Einstein condensates [11], and to explore subtle intermolecular interactions which manifest themselves at very low temperatures, but are often obscured at higher temperatures [12]. In this way, they enable a better understanding of the forces that drive chemical processes.…”

Section: About the Authorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, Coulomb-crystallised ions are ideal systems to study ion-neutral interactions and chemical reactions at extremely low temperatures. To this end, a range of different experiments has been developed over the past few years which combine ion traps with sources of either cold neutral atoms [11,12] or cold neutral molecules [13]. Figure 4 shows an illustration of an experiment in which a Coulomb crystal of laser-cooled Ba + ions has been overlapped with a cloud of ultracold Rb atoms prepared by laser cooling and magneto-optical trapping [12].…”

Section: To Cold and Controlled Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ion Coulomb crystals: from quantum technology to chemistry close to the absolute zero point

Dulieu

Willitsch

2017

Europhysics News

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EPN 48/2 17 FEATURES T he recent progress in the generation of atoms and molecules at temperatures near the absolute zero point has paved the way for new exciting research directions in both physics and chemistry. A particularly intriguing form of cold matter is a "Coulomb crystal", an ordered structure of charged atoms or molecules (ions) stored in traps [1]. In such a crystal, it is possible to observe, address and manipulate single particles. This remarkable technology paves the way for a range of new applications. These include quantum logic and quantum simulation as new avenues for information processing, extremely precise atomic clocks as new time standards, precision spectroscopic measurements to address fundamental physical questions such as a possible time variation of fundamental constants, and controlled collision studies to unravel the fine details of chemical reaction mechanisms. The spectacular advances in this field have recently been recognized by the award of part of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2012 to David J. Wineland, one of its pioneers. Generation of Coulomb crystals

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“…In these experiments, ions are typically stored and cooled in a radiofrequency (RF) trap [2,9] which is overlapped with laser-cooled atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) [10,11]. In some experiments, the MOT is replaced by a magnetic or optical dipole trap, in which the atoms can further be cooled and even Bose-Einstein condensed [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For ion-neutral collisions, the lowest energies are currently achieved in hybrid experiments in which traps for cold ions and cold atoms are combined [6][7][8]. In these experiments, ions are typically stored and cooled in a radiofrequency (RF) trap [2,9] which is overlapped with laser-cooled atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Dynamic Ion–Atom Hybrid Trap for High‐Resolution Cold‐Collision Studies

et al. 2016

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We present a dynamic ion-atom hybrid trap for studies of cold ion-neutral collisions and reactions with a significantly improved energy resolution compared to previous experiments. Our approach is based on pushing a cloud of laser-cooled Rb atoms through a stationary Coulomb crystal of cold ions using precisely controlled, tunable radiation-pressure forces. We demonstrate the tuning of the atom kinetic energies over an interval ranging from 30 mK up to 350 mK with energy spreads as low as 24 mK inferred from the comparison of experimental time-of-flight measurements with Monte Carlo trajectory simulations. We also demonstrate first applications of our method to the investigation of chemical reactions. Our development opens up perspectives for accurate studies of the energy dependence of the reaction rates, the dynamics and the reaction-product ratios of ion-neutral processes in the cold regime. It also paves the way for the realisation of fully energy-and state-controlled cold-collision experiments.

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Cold atom–ion experiments in hybrid traps

Cited by 147 publications

References 80 publications

Ground-state properties of ultracold trapped bosons with an immersed ionic impurity

Ground-state properties of ultracold trapped bosons with an immersed ionic impurity

Ion Coulomb crystals: from quantum technology to chemistry close to the absolute zero point

A Dynamic Ion–Atom Hybrid Trap for High‐Resolution Cold‐Collision Studies

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