Related papers: Spin-orbit interactions and quantum spin dynamics …
Ultracold hybrid ion-atom traps offer the possibility of microscopic manipulation of quantum coherences in the gas using the ion as a probe. However, inelastic processes, particularly charge transfer can be a significant process of ion loss…
We report on observations of spin dynamics in single Yb$^+$ ions immersed in a cold cloud of spin-polarized $^6$Li atoms. This species combination has been proposed to be the most suitable system to reach the quantum regime in atom-ion…
Synthetic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in controlled quantum systems such as cold atoms or trapped ions has been of great interest. Here we show, both theoretically and computationally, a simplest realization of SOC using two-level cold atoms…
We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of spin dynamics of a single $^{88}$Sr$^+$ ion colliding with an ultracold cloud of Rb atoms in various hyperfine states. While spin-exchange between the two species occurs after 9.1(6)…
We derive an analytical expression for the scattering amplitude of two ultracold atoms of arbitrary spin and with general spin-orbit (SO) coupling, on the basis of our recent work (Phys. Rev. A \textbf{86}, 053608 (2012)). As an…
We present experimental studies of atom-ion collisions using buffer-gas cooled, trapped ytterbium (Yb$^+$) ions immersed in potassium (K) vapor. The range of the collisional temperature is on the order of several hundred kelvin (thermal…
Cold atoms with laser-induced spin-orbit (SO) interactions provide intriguing new platforms to explore novel quantum physics beyond natural conditions of solids. Recent experiments demonstrated the one-dimensional (1D) SO coupling for boson…
This review focuses on recent developments on studying synthetic spin-orbit (SO) coupling in ultracold atomic gases. Two types of SO coupling are discussed. One is Raman process induced coupling between spin and motion along one of the…
We have calculated elastic and state-resolved inelastic cross sections for cold and ultracold collisions in the Rb($^1 S$) + OH($^2 \Pi_{3/2}$) system, including fine-structure and hyperfine effects. We have developed a new set of five…
We explore the suitability of ultracold collisions between spin-polarized SrF($^2\Sigma^+$) molecules and Rb($^2$S) atoms as elementary steps for the sympathetic cooling of SrF($^2\Sigma^+$) molecules in a magnetic trap. To this end, we…
Energy transfer between different mechanical degrees of freedom in atom-molecule collisions has been widely studied and largely understood. However, systems involving spins remain less explored, especially with a state-to-state precision.…
We explore the influence of contact interactions on a synthetically spin-orbit coupled system of two ultracold trapped atoms. Even though the system we consider is bosonic, we show that a regime exists in which the competition between the…
Carbon based systems are prominent candidates for a solid-state spin-qubit due to weak spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions in combination with a low natural abundance of spin carrying isotopes. We consider the effect of the hyperfine…
Great advances in precision quantum measurement have been achieved with trapped ions and atomic gases at the lowest possible temperatures. These successes have inspired ideas to merge the two systems. In this way one can study the unique…
Spin-orbit (SO) coupling -- the interaction between a quantum particle's spin and its momentum -- is ubiquitous in nature, from atoms to solids. In condensed matter systems, SO coupling is crucial for the spin-Hall effect and topological…
Cold chemical reactions between laser-cooled Ca^+ ions and Rb atoms were studied in an ion-atom hybrid trap. Reaction rate constants were determined in the range of collision energies <E_{coll}>/k_B = 20 mK-20 K. The lowest energies were…
Ultra-cold alkali atoms trapped in two distinct hyperfine states in an external magnetic field can mimic magnetic systems of spin 1/2 particles. We describe the spin-dependent effective interaction as a spin-spin interaction. As a…
We theoretically investigate the collisional dynamics of laser-cooled $^{87}$Rb ground-state atoms and $^{40}$Ca$^+$ ground-state ions in the context of the hybrid trap experiment of Ref. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 243202 (2011)], leading to…
We are developing a new hybrid atom-ion trap to study the interaction of ultracold rubidium atoms with mass-selected OH- molecules. The ions are trapped inside an octupole rf-trap made of thin wires instead of the commonly used rods. This…
We investigate the thermal properties of interacting spin-orbit coupled bosons with contact interactions in two spatial dimensions. To that end, we implement the complex Langevin method, motivated by the appearance of a sign problem, on a…