Project C3
2021
Interorbital Interactions in an SU(2)xSU(6)-Symmetric Fermi-Fermi Mixture
Benjamin Abeln, Koen Sponselee, Marcel Diem, Nejira Pintul, Klaus Sengstock, Christoph Becker
We characterize inter- and intraisotope interorbital interactions between atoms in the 1S0 ground state and the 3P0 metastable state in interacting Fermi-Fermi mixtures of 171Yb and 173Yb. We perform high-precision clock spectroscopy to measure interaction-induced energy shifts in a deep 3D optical lattice and determine the corresponding scattering lengths. We find the elastic interaction of the interisotope mixtures 173Yb_e-171Yb_g and 173Yb_g-171Yb_e to be weakly attractive and very similar, while the corresponding two-body loss coefficients differ by more than two orders of magnitude. By comparing different spin mixtures we experimentally demonstrate the SU(2)xSU(6) symmetry of all elastic and inelastic interactions. Furthermore, we measure the spin-exchange interaction in 171Yb and confirm its previously observed antiferromagnetic nature.
2019
Identifying quantum phase transitions using artificial neural networks on experimental data
B. S. Rem, N. Käming, M. Tarnowski, L. Asteria, N. Fläschner, C. Becker, K. Sengstock, C. Weitenberg
Machine-learning techniques such as artificial neural networks are currently revolutionizing many technological areas and have also proven successful in quantum physics applications1,2,3,4. Here, we employ an artificial neural network and deep-learning techniques to identify quantum phase transitions from single-shot experimental momentum-space density images of ultracold quantum gases and obtain results that were not feasible with conventional methods. We map out the complete two-dimensional topological phase diagram of the Haldane model5,6,7 and provide an improved characterization of the superfluid-to-Mott-insulator transition in an inhomogeneous Bose–Hubbard system8,9,10. Our work points the way to unravel complex phase diagrams of general experimental systems, where the Hamiltonian and the order parameters might not be known.
2018
Dynamics of Ultracold Quantum Gases in the Dissipative Fermi-Hubbard Model
K. Sponselee, L. Freystatzky, B. Abeln, M. Diem, B. Hundt, A. Kochanke, T. Ponath, B. Santra, L. Mathey, K. Sengstock and C. Becker
Abstract. We employ metastable ultracold 173-Yb atoms to study dynamics in the 1D dissipative Fermi-Hubbard model experimentally and theoretically, and observe a complete inhibition of two-body losses after initial fast transient dynamics. We attribute the suppression of particle loss to the dynamical generation of a highly entangled Dicke state. For several lattice depths and for two- and six-spin component mixtures we find very similar dynamics, showing that the creation of strongly correlated states is a robust and universal phenomenon. This offers interesting opportunities for precision measurements.
2017
Observation of Topological Bloch-State Defects and Their Merging Transition
Matthias Tarnowski, Marlon Nuske, Nick Fläschner, Benno Rem, Dominik Vogel, Lukas Freystatzky, Klaus Sengstock, Ludwig Mathey, and Christof Weitenberg
Topological defects in Bloch bands, such as Dirac points in graphene, and their resulting Berry phases play an important role for the electronic dynamics in solid state crystals. Such defects can arise in systems with a two-atomic basis due to the momentum-dependent coupling of the two sublattice states, which gives rise to a pseudospin texture. The topological defects appear as vortices in the azimuthal phase of this pseudospin texture. Here, we demonstrate a complete measurement of the azimuthal phase in a hexagonal optical lattice employing a versatile method based on time-of-flight imaging after off-resonant lattice modulation. Furthermore, we map out the merging transition of the two Dirac points induced by beam imbalance. Our work paves the way to accessing geometric properties in optical lattices also with spin-orbit coupling and interactions.
Split-and-delay unit for FEL interferometry in the XUV spectral range
S. Usenko, A. Przystawik, L.L. Lazzarino, M.A. Jakob, F. Jacobs, C. Becker, C. Haunhorst, D. Kip, and T. Laarmann
In this work we present a reflective split-and-delay unit (SDU) developed for interferometric time-resolved experiments utilizing an (extreme ultraviolet) XUV pump–XUV probe scheme with focused free-electron laser beams. The developed SDU overcomes limitations for phase-resolved measurements inherent to conventional two-element split mirrors by a special design using two reflective lamellar gratings. The gratings produce a high-contrast interference signal controlled by the grating displacement in every diffraction order. The orders are separated in the focal plane of the focusing optics, which enables one to avoid phase averaging by spatially selective detection of a single interference state of the two light fields. Interferometry requires a precise relative phase control of the light fields, which presents a challenge at short wavelengths. In our setup the phase delay is determined by an in-vacuum white light interferometer (WLI) that monitors the surface profile of the SDU in real time and thus measures the delay for each laser shot. The precision of the WLI is 1 nm as determined by optical laser interferometry. In the presented experimental geometry it corresponds to a time delay accuracy of 3 as, which enables phase-resolved XUV pump–XUV probe experiments at free-electron laser (FEL) repetition rates up to 60 Hz.
2014
Relaxation dynamics of a closed high-spin Fermi system far from equilibrium
U. Ebling, J. S. Krauser, N. Fläschner, K. Sengstock, C. Becker, M. Lewenstein, A. Eckardt
A fundamental question in many-body physics is how closed quantum systems reach equilibrium. We address this question experimentally and theoretically in an ultracold high-spin Fermi gas where we find a complex interplay between internal and motional degrees of freedom. The fermions are initially prepared far from equilibrium with only a few spin states occupied. The subsequent dynamics leading to redistribution among all spin states is observed experimentally and simulated theoretically using a kinetic Boltzmann equation with full spin coherence. The latter is derived microscopically and provides good agreement with experimental data without any free parameters. We identify several collisional processes, which occur on different time scales. By varying density and magnetic field, we control the relaxation dynamics and are able to continuously tune the character of a subset of spin states from an open to a closed system.
Phys. Rev. X 4, 021011 (2014)
http://arxiv.org/abs/1312.6704
Detecting quadrupole interactions in ultracold Fermi gases
M. Lahrz, M. Lemeshko, K. Sengstock, C. Becker, L. Mathey
2013
Creation of Quantum-Degenerate Gases of Ytterbium in a Compact 2D-/3D-MOT Setup
S. Dörscher, A. Thobe, B. Hundt, A. Kochanke, R. Le Targat, P. Windpassinger, C. Becker, K. Sengstock
The following article has been accepted by Review of Scientific Instruments. After it is published, it will be found at http://rsi.aip.org
We report on the first experimental setup based on a 2D-/3D-MOT scheme to create both Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases of several ytterbium isotopes. Our setup does not require a Zeeman slower and offers the flexibility to simultaneously produce ultracold samples of other atomic species. Furthermore, the extraordinary optical access favors future experiments in optical lattices. A 2D-MOT on the strong 1S0-1P1 transition captures ytterbium directly from a dispenser of atoms and loads a 3D-MOT on the narrow 1S0-3P1 intercombination transition. Subsequently, atoms are transferred to a crossed optical dipole trap and cooled evaporatively to quantum degeneracy.
Review of Scientific Instruments 84, 043109
http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.1105
Intrinsic Photoconductivity of Ultracold Fermions in Optical Lattices
J. Heinze, J. S. Krauser, N. Fläschner, B. Hundt, S. Götze, A. Itin, L. Mathey, K. Sengstock, C. Becker
We report on the first experimental observation of a persistent alternating photocurrent in an ultracold gas of fermionic atoms in an optical lattice. The dynamics is induced and sustained by an external harmonic confinement. We find a counterintuitively momentum-dependent oscillation frequency for excited particles and a fast decay of holes which we attribute to spatial trapping. Lifetime measurements reveal a significant enhancement of particle-hole recombination with increasing interactions.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 085302 (2013)
http://arxiv.org/abs/1208.4020