Mastering Laser Cooling in Engineered Neural Atom Arrays: Raman Sideband Cooling to Quantum Degeneracy
Abstract
Mastering laser cooling in engineered neutral atom arrays: Raman sideband cooling to quantumdegeneracyOur proposed work will transform laser cooling techniques for realizing fully-controlled closelypackedarrays of ultracold atoms and for developing futuristic on-chip devices with trapped coldatoms. This work will have important implications for both optical clocks and quantumsimulation with single-atom control. Optical lattice clocks based upon alkaline earth atoms aretransitioning to techniques in which quantum degenerate gases are used to create an insulatorstate that is well-ordered and compact; however, this trend comes with addition of complexityand longer repetition rate. Further, at the forefront of quantum simulation are experiments thatseek to achieve microscopic readout of quantum many-body states with ultracold atoms. ByRaman laser cooling a tunable array, we will seek even greater control via both assembly andimaging of individual atom, while simultaneously removing the complexity of typical ultracoldgas apparati.Why should we believe that Raman cooling is currently a useful prospect? Decades ago thesearch for quantum-degenerate gases became dominated by evaporative cooling, and lasercoolingfor final steps was eventually abandoned. However, there has been a sharp change inthis outlook due to a multitude of recent advances and science goals: (1) In the recent work ofour group we have individually Raman cooled atoms into the three-dimensional ground state andbrought them together to definitively see effects of quantum statistics of bosons at the fewparticlelevel. (2) Our work thus far shows that detrimental rescattering effects that plaguedhistorical Raman cooling can be removed in a particular limit, as one knows well from ion trapexperiments. To build control of larger arrays we will both continue to focus on movable arraysconfined to two dimensions, and understand geometries that can be used to control rescattering.(3) Significant progress has been attained in the loading, rearrangement, and single-atomdistilling of arrays of atoms. (4) Modern AMQ is focused more and more on physics andapplications that call on microscopic control -- from the individual probing of quantum-gasmicroscopes, to the aims of quantum simulation and computation, to the requirements forunderstanding scattering physics in alkaline earth gases, and when this control is required, lasercooling at the single-atom level could be an important and less circuitous route.The work of this proposal will focus on: (A) Demonstrate Bose-Einstein condensation can beachieved by engineering an ordered array, subsequently Raman sideband cooling an ensemble ofrubidium atoms, and bringing the atoms together to a regime of appreciable tunneling. Asuccessful creation of a condensed system via a Maxwell Demon will be a scientificdemonstration in itself. (B) Understand light scattering in tunable arrays of neutral atoms, inparticular effects relevant to Raman cooling in various dimensionality and futuristic geometries.(C) Investigate challenges for cooling in near-field optical potentials that enhance confinement,and hence increase interactions and dynamics times for quantum simulation based upon atomtunneling, and enable compact atomic devices for quantum sensing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 03, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712245
Entities
People
- Cindy A. Regal
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California Regents