Singular atom optics with spinor Bose–Einstein condensates

Hansen, Azure; Schultz, Justin T.; Bigelow, N. P.

doi:10.1364/optica.3.000355

Cited by 26 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 62 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Recent progress on optimizing these patterns has, however, been promising, and it is expected that successful implementation of arbitrarily configured trapped atoms using Fourier plane methods will be demonstrated soon. However, Fourier plane methods are-particularly useful for phase imprinting, as has been demonstrated successfully to imprint vortex/skyrmion structures [144].…”

Section: Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roadmap on structured light

Rubinsztein‐Dunlop

Forbes

Berry

et al. 2016

J. Opt.

1,089

630

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Structured light refers to the generation and application of custom light fields. As the tools and technology to create and detect structured light have evolved, steadily the applications have begun to emerge. This roadmap touches on the key fields within structured light from the perspective of experts in those areas, providing insight into the current state and the challenges their respective fields face. Collectively the roadmap outlines the venerable nature of structured light research and the exciting prospects for the future that are yet to be realized.

show abstract

Section: Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roadmap on structured light

Rubinsztein‐Dunlop

Forbes

Berry

et al. 2016

J. Opt.

1,089

630

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…2 of the main text. Vortex lines in the individual components of a spinor BEC can be prepared using Raman transitions [50], where the singular phase profile of the Raman laser is transferred to the condensate. However, Eq.…”

Section: Vortex Preparation and Time Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, imprinting the orientation of the vortex lines always along the z axis of the changing spinor basis prepares the vortex lines perpendicular to each other, providing an ideal starting point for reconnection dynamics. The method can utilize the existing techniques of phase imprinting in spinor BECs by Raman transitions [50], and can also be applied, e.g., in the cyclic phase. The corresponding reconnection dynamics is simulated by propagating the Gross-Pitaevskii equations, including a weak damping [43].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Core Structure and Non-Abelian Reconnection of Defects in a Biaxial Nematic Spin-2 Bose-Einstein Condensate

Borgh

Ruostekoski

2016

Phys. Rev. Lett.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We calculate the energetic structure of defect cores and propose controlled methods to imprint a nontrivially entangled vortex pair that undergoes non-Abelian vortex reconnection in a biaxial nematic spin-2 condensate. For a singular vortex, we find three superfluid cores in addition to depletion of the condensate density. These exhibit order parameter symmetries that are different from the discrete symmetry of the biaxial nematic phase, forming an interface between the defect and the bulk superfluid. We provide a detailed analysis of phase mixing in the resulting vortex cores and find an instability dependent upon the orientation of the order parameter. We further show that the spin-2 condensate is a promising system for observing spontaneous deformation of a point defect into an "Alice ring" that has so far avoided experimental detection.Topological defects and textures are ubiquitous across physical systems that seemingly have little in common [1], from liquid crystals [2] and superfluids [3] to cosmic strings [4]. They arise generically from symmetries of a ground state that is described by an order parameter [5]-a function parametrizing the set of physically distinguishable, energetically degenerate states. In the simple example of a scalar superfluid, the order parameter is the phase of the macroscopic wave function. More generally it may be a vector or tensor that is symmetric under particular transformations. In a uniaxial nematic (UN), the order parameter is cylindrically symmetric around a locally defined axis. It also exhibits a twofold discrete symmetry under reversal of the cylinder axis, which leads to half-quantum vortices (HQVs) in atomic spinor BoseEinstein condensates (BECs) [6][7][8][9] and superfluid liquid 3 He [10], and to π disclinations in liquid crystals [1,2]. In a biaxial nematic (BN), also the cylindrical symmetry is broken into the fully discrete symmetry of a rectangular brick, with dramatic consequences: the BN is the simplest order parameter that supports non-Abelian vortices that do not commute [5,11]. As a result, colliding non-Abelian vortices cannot reconnect without leaving traces of the process, but must instead form a connecting rung vortex. Noncommuting defects appear as cosmic strings in theories of the early universe [4], and have been predicted in BN liquid crystals [11].Despite long-standing experimental efforts, BN phases in liquid crystals have experimentally proved more elusive than originally anticipated [12]. In atomic systems, the topological classification and dynamics of non-Abelian vortices have theoretically been studied in the cyclic phase of spin-2 [13-16] and in spin-3 BECs [17], though it remains uncertain whether any alkali-metal atoms exhibit the corresponding ground states. Consequently, any physical system where non-Abelian defects may be reliably studied is still lacking.Spin-2 BECs exhibit-in addition to the ferromagnetic (FM) and cyclic phases-both UN and BN phases [18][19][20], which, however, are degenerate at the mean-field level. Beyond mean-fi...

show abstract

“…Recently, a matter wave analogue to a full Bloch (Poincaré) beam [76] was generated that contains every possible superposition between two internal states. Such Bloch BECs are topologically similar to magnetic skyrmions and may allow applications in atom spintronics [77].…”

Section: Angular Momentum Of Matter Wavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical angular momentum and atoms

Franke‐Arnold

2017

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Any coherent interaction of light and atoms needs to conserve energy, linear momentum and angular momentum. What happens to an atom's angular momentum if it encounters light that carries orbital angular momentum (OAM)? This is a particularly intriguing question as the angular momentum of atoms is quantized, incorporating the intrinsic spin angular momentum of the individual electrons as well as the OAM associated with their spatial distribution. In addition, a mechanical angular momentum can arise from the rotation of the entire atom, which for very cold atoms is also quantized. Atoms therefore allow us to probe and access the quantum properties of light's OAM, aiding our fundamental understanding of light-matter interactions, and moreover, allowing us to construct OAM-based applications, including quantum memories, frequency converters for shaped light and OAM-based sensors.This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.

show abstract

Singular atom optics with spinor Bose–Einstein condensates

Cited by 26 publications

References 62 publications

Roadmap on structured light

Roadmap on structured light

Core Structure and Non-Abelian Reconnection of Defects in a Biaxial Nematic Spin-2 Bose-Einstein Condensate

Optical angular momentum and atoms

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About