Related papers: Creating a low-dimensional quantum gas using dark …
A dense gas of cesium atoms at the crossover to two-dimensionality is prepared in a highly anisotropic surface trap that is realized with two evanescent light waves. Temperatures as low as 100nK are reached with 20.000 atoms at a…
We introduce a method for shaping a cold atom cloud using a vortex laser beam with a polarization singularity at its center, which creates a point of vanishing intensity. Exploiting this feature we experimentally demonstrate two different…
We describe the decoherence-free subspace of N atoms in a cavity, in which decoherence due to the leakage of photons through the cavity mirrors is suppressed. We show how the states of the subspace can be entangled with the help of weak…
We provide an introduction to the experimental physics of quantum gases. At the low densities of ultracold quantum gases, confinement can be understood from single-particle physics, and interactions can be understood from two-body physics.…
We present two spatial-shaping approaches -- phase and amplitude -- for creating two-dimensional optical dipole potentials for ultracold neutral atoms. When combined with an attractive or repulsive Gaussian sheet formed by an astigmatically…
The versatility of quantum gas experiments greatly benefits from the ability to apply variable potentials. Here we describe a method which allows the preparation of potential structures for microcavity photons via spatially selective…
We study an ultracold gas of neutral atoms subject to the periodic optical potential generated by a high-$Q$ cavity mode. In the limit of very low temperatures, cavity field and atomic dynamics require a quantum description. Starting from a…
We demonstrate the integration of micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) scanning mirrors as active elements for the local optical pumping of ultra-cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap. A pair of MEMS mirrors steer a focused resonant beam…
Ultracold polar molecules, with their long-range electric dipolar interactions, offer a unique platform for studying correlated quantum many-body phenomena such as quantum magnetism. However, realizing a highly degenerate quantum gas of…
We present a theoretical analysis of a novel scheme for optical cooling of particles that does not in principle require a closed optical transition. A tightly confined laser beam interacting with a trapped particle experiences a phase…
We propose a robust and decoherence insensitive scheme to generate controllable entangled states of two three-level atoms interacting with an optical cavity and a laser beam. Losses due to atomic spontaneous transitions and to cavity decay…
We present a laser beam shaping method using acousto-optic deflection of light and discuss its application to dipole trapping of ultracold atoms. By driving the acousto-optic deflector with multiple frequencies, we generate an array of…
High-density and ultracold atomic gases have emerged as promising media for storage of individual photons for quantum memory applications. In this paper we provide an overview of our theoretical and experimental efforts in this direction,…
A scheme to utilize atom-like emitters coupled to nanophotonic waveguides is proposed for the generation of many-body entangled states and for the reversible mapping of these states of matter to photonic states of an optical pulse in the…
We propose to thermalize a low-dimensional photon gas and obtain photon Bose-Einstein condensation by optomechanical interactions in a microscopic optical cavity, with a single longitudinal mode and many transverse modes. The geometry of…
Ultracold quantum gases are usually prepared in conservative traps for quantum simulation experiments. The atomic density inhomogeneity, together with the consequent position-dependent energy and time scales of cold atoms in traditional…
The design of an experiment on the spontaneous crystallization of a laser-cooled, but thermal atomic cloud into a hexagonally structured phase is discussed. Atomic interaction is mediated by the dipole potential of an optical lattice formed…
Ultracold atomic gases with uniform density can be created by flat-bottom optical traps. These gases provide an ideal platform to study many-body physics in a system that allows for simple connections with theoretical models and emulation…
We propose two robust schemes to generate controllable (deterministic) atomic W-states of three three-level atoms interacting with an optical cavity and a laser beam. Losses due to atomic spontaneous emissions and to cavity decay are…
Hot alkali metal vapors enclosed in sub-micron spectroscopic cells provide an ideal system for fundamental studies of the atom-wall and atom-light interactions at nanoscale. Here, we propose a novel approach for calculating the eigenmodes…