Dynamics of collapsing and exploding Bose-Einstein condensates.

When atoms in a gas are cooled to extremely low temperatures, they will-under the appropriate conditions-condense into a single quantum-mechanical state known as a Bose-Einstein condensate. In such systems, quantum-mechanical behaviour is evident on a macroscopic scale. Here we explore the dynamics of how a Bose-Einstein condensate collapses and subsequently explodes when the balance of forces governing its size and shape is suddenly altered. A condensate's equilibrium size and shape is strongly affected by the interatomic interactions. Our ability to induce a collapse by switching the interactions from repulsive to attractive by tuning an externally applied magnetic field yields detailed information on the violent collapse process. We observe anisotropic atom bursts that explode from the condensate, atoms leaving the condensate in undetected forms, spikes appearing in the condensate wavefunction and oscillating remnant condensates that survive the collapse. All these processes have curious dependences on time, on the strength of the interaction and on the number of condensate atoms. Although the system would seem to be simple and well characterized, our measurements reveal many phenomena that challenge theoretical models.     

复合势中的玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的操控

提出了一种处理在光晶格势和抛物势共同作用下的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚孤子动力学的拓展变分法．利用拓展变分方法给出了玻色．爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的解析处理,并和基于分步傅立叶变换的直接数值方法进行比较,发现这种拓展变分方法能够充分揭示上述外势场中的玻色．爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的动力学行为．同时,给出了能支持多稳定晶格囚禁玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的多晶格稳定势槽,并通过调控光晶格势实现了玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚孤子从某一稳定晶格势槽为初始位置到任意位置的操控．这为玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚的实验和应用研究提供了一定的理论依据．     

Direct observation of growth and collapse of a Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive interactions

Quantum theory predicts that Bose-Einstein condensation of a spatially homogeneous gas with attractive interactions is precluded by a conventional phase transition into either a liquid or solid. When confined to a trap, however, such a condensate can form, provided that its occupation number does not exceed a limiting value. The stability limit is determined by a balance between the self-attractive forces and a repulsion that arises from position-momentum uncertainty under conditions of spatial confinement. Near the stability limit, self-attraction can overwhelm the repulsion, causing the condensate to collapse. Growth of the condensate is therefore punctuated by intermittent collapses that are triggered by either macroscopic quantum tunnelling or thermal fluctuation. Previous observations of growth and collapse dynamics have been hampered by the stochastic nature of these mechanisms. Here we report direct observations of the growth and subsequent collapse of a 7Li condensate with attractive interactions, using phase-contrast imaging. The success of the measurement lies in our ability to reduce the stochasticity in the dynamics by controlling the initial number of condensate atoms using a two-photon transition to a diatomic molecular state.     

反抛物势与双光晶格势中的三维玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子

提出了一种处理囚禁于反抛物势和双光晶格复合势中玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子动力学的能量密度泛函和直接数值仿真相结合的方法.利用静态Gross-Pitaevskii方程和柱对称玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子试探波函数,给出了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚静态涡旋孤子能量密度泛函的解析式,再运用数值模拟含时Gross-Pi-taevskii方程的方法,得到了稳定演化的涡旋孤子;并且通过调控双光晶格势,实现了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子从某一晶格势槽为初始位置到任意位置的操控,为玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚的实验和应用研究提供了一定的理论依据.值得指出的是,双涡旋孤子的稳定演化与操控是最重要的发现.     

Collapse and revival of the matter wave field of a Bose-Einstein condensate

A Bose-Einstein condensate represents the most 'classical' form of a matter wave, just as an optical laser emits the most classical form of an electromagnetic wave. Nevertheless, the matter wave field has a quantized structure owing to the granularity of the discrete underlying atoms. Although such a field is usually assumed to be intrinsically stable (apart from incoherent loss processes), this is no longer true when the condensate is in a coherent superposition of different atom number states. For example, in a Bose-Einstein condensate confined by a three-dimensional optical lattice, each potential well can be prepared in a coherent superposition of different atom number states, with constant relative phases between neighbouring lattice sites. It is then natural to ask how the individual matter wave fields and their relative phases evolve. Here we use such a set-up to investigate these questions experimentally, observing that the matter wave field of the Bose-Einstein condensate undergoes a periodic series of collapses and revivals; this behaviour is directly demonstrated in the dynamical evolution of the multiple matter wave interference pattern. We attribute the oscillations to the quantized structure of the matter wave field and the collisions between individual atoms.     

BEC中非线性薛定谔方程的数值研究

通过数值求解非线性薛定谔方程，来分析温度在绝对零度时束缚在谐振子势阱中弱相互作用玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚(BEC)的特性．在一维的情况下，利用定态薛定谔方程，得到了一维谐振势下的基态波函数，同时求得单粒子的基态能量，进一步，利用含时薛定谔方程，研究了宏观波函数随时间的演化，特别是当势阱随时间变化或受扰动的情况．研究表明，一维情况下，不论正散射长度还是负散射长度的原子都可以形成BEC，且非线性相互作用在一定范围内时负散射长度原子的解具有孤立子的性质。     

非对称囚禁二维玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的演化

利用变分法解G ross-P itaevsk ii方程,研究了囚禁在各向异性势阱中的二维饼状玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体(BEC)孤子的演化规律,发现通过在圆柱形对称的磁阱中的某一方向引入光格电势,不仅使BEC孤子在该方向趋向稳定,而且通过相互耦合作用也能影响其它方向从而使孤子的膨胀变慢,使BEC孤子的稳定性增加。其效果与势阱中的原子数、势阱系数和光格参数有关。     

Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms.

For a system at a temperature of absolute zero, all thermal fluctuations are frozen out, while quantum fluctuations prevail. These microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce a macroscopic phase transition in the ground state of a many-body system when the relative strength of two competing energy terms is varied across a critical value. Here we observe such a quantum phase transition in a Bose-Einstein condensate with repulsive interactions, held in a three-dimensional optical lattice potential. As the potential depth of the lattice is increased, a transition is observed from a superfluid to a Mott insulator phase. In the superfluid phase, each atom is spread out over the entire lattice, with long-range phase coherence. But in the insulating phase, exact numbers of atoms are localized at individual lattice sites, with no phase coherence across the lattice; this phase is characterized by a gap in the excitation spectrum. We can induce reversible changes between the two ground states of the system.     

Many-particle entanglement with Bose-Einstein condensates

The possibility of creating and manipulating entangled states of systems of many particles is of significant interest for quantum information processing; such a capability could lead to new applications that rely on the basic principles of quantum mechanics. So far, up to four atoms have been entangled in a controlled way. A crucial requirement for the production of entangled states is that they can be considered pure at the single-particle level. Bose-Einstein condensates fulfil this requirement; hence it is natural to investigate whether they can also be used in some applications of quantum information. Here we propose a method to achieve substantial entanglement of a large number of atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate. A single resonant laser pulse is applied to all the atoms in the condensate, which is then allowed to evolve freely; in this latter stage, collisional interactions produce entanglement between the atoms. The technique should be realizable with present technology.     

Strong dipolar effects in a quantum ferrofluid

Symmetry-breaking interactions have a crucial role in many areas of physics, ranging from classical ferrofluids to superfluid (3)He and d-wave superconductivity. For superfluid quantum gases, a variety of new physical phenomena arising from the symmetry-breaking interaction between electric or magnetic dipoles are expected. Novel quantum phases in optical lattices, such as chequerboard or supersolid phases, are predicted for dipolar bosons. Dipolar interactions can also enrich considerably the physics of quantum gases with internal degrees of freedom. Arrays of dipolar particles could be used for efficient quantum information processing. Here we report the realization of a chromium Bose-Einstein condensate with strong dipolar interactions. By using a Feshbach resonance, we reduce the usual isotropic contact interaction, such that the anisotropic magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between 52Cr atoms becomes comparable in strength. This induces a change of the aspect ratio of the atom cloud; for strong dipolar interactions, the inversion of ellipticity during expansion (the usual 'smoking gun' evidence for a Bose-Einstein condensate) can be suppressed. These effects are accounted for by taking into account the dipolar interaction in the superfluid hydrodynamic equations governing the dynamics of the gas, in the same way as classical ferrofluids can be described by including dipolar terms in the classical hydrodynamic equations. Our results are a first step in the exploration of the unique properties of quantum ferrofluids.     

Coherent control of optical information with matter wave dynamics

In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in manipulating matter with light, and light with matter. Resonant laser fields interacting with cold, dense atom clouds provide a particularly rich system. Such light fields interact strongly with the internal electrons of the atoms, and couple directly to external atomic motion through recoil momenta imparted when photons are absorbed and emitted. Ultraslow light propagation in Bose-Einstein condensates represents an extreme example of resonant light manipulation using cold atoms. Here we demonstrate that a slow light pulse can be stopped and stored in one Bose-Einstein condensate and subsequently revived from a totally different condensate, 160 mum away; information is transferred through conversion of the optical pulse into a travelling matter wave. In the presence of an optical coupling field, a probe laser pulse is first injected into one of the condensates where it is spatially compressed to a length much shorter than the coherent extent of the condensate. The coupling field is then turned off, leaving the atoms in the first condensate in quantum superposition states that comprise a stationary component and a recoiling component in a different internal state. The amplitude and phase of the spatially localized light pulse are imprinted on the recoiling part of the wavefunction, which moves towards the second condensate. When this 'messenger' atom pulse is embedded in the second condensate, the system is re-illuminated with the coupling laser. The probe light is driven back on and the messenger pulse is coherently added to the matter field of the second condensate by way of slow-light-mediated atomic matter-wave amplification. The revived light pulse records the relative amplitude and phase between the recoiling atomic imprint and the revival condensate. Our results provide a dramatic demonstration of coherent optical information processing with matter wave dynamics. Such quantum control may find application in quantum information processing and wavefunction sculpting.     

一类非线性Schr(o)dinger方程的门槛条件

研究一类带调和势并具组合幂非线性项的非线性Schr(o)dinger方程.该方程描述了在磁场势下具有相互吸引的Bose-Einstein凝聚.应用势井方法、凹方法和变分原理,给出了该方程Cauchy问题的整体解和爆破解存在的门槛条件.     

Cavity QED with a Bose-Einstein condensate

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) describes the coherent interaction between matter and an electromagnetic field confined within a resonator structure, and is providing a useful platform for developing concepts in quantum information processing. By using high-quality resonators, a strong coupling regime can be reached experimentally in which atoms coherently exchange a photon with a single light-field mode many times before dissipation sets in. This has led to fundamental studies with both microwave and optical resonators. To meet the challenges posed by quantum state engineering and quantum information processing, recent experiments have focused on laser cooling and trapping of atoms inside an optical cavity. However, the tremendous degree of control over atomic gases achieved with Bose-Einstein condensation has so far not been used for cavity QED. Here we achieve the strong coupling of a Bose-Einstein condensate to the quantized field of an ultrahigh-finesse optical cavity and present a measurement of its eigenenergy spectrum. This is a conceptually new regime of cavity QED, in which all atoms occupy a single mode of a matter-wave field and couple identically to the light field, sharing a single excitation. This opens possibilities ranging from quantum communication to a wealth of new phenomena that can be expected in the many-body physics of quantum gases with cavity-mediated interactions.     

一维Bose-Einstein凝聚中的孤波

 导出了在一维原子玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚(BEC)中,原子被约束在谐和柱形陷阱中时的孤波的有关性质.     

Observation of two-dimensional discrete solitons in optically induced nonlinear photonic lattices

Nonlinear periodic lattices occur in a large variety of systems, such as biological molecules, nonlinear optical waveguides, solid-state systems and Bose-Einstein condensates. The underlying dynamics in these systems is dominated by the interplay between tunnelling between adjacent potential wells and nonlinearity. A balance between these two effects can result in a self-localized state: a lattice or 'discrete' soliton. Direct observation of lattice solitons has so far been limited to one-dimensional systems, namely in arrays of nonlinear optical waveguides. However, many fundamental features are expected to occur in higher dimensions, such as vortex lattice solitons, bright lattice solitons that carry angular momentum, and three-dimensional collisions between lattice solitons. Here, we report the experimental observation of two-dimensional (2D) lattice solitons. We use optical induction, the interference of two or more plane waves in a photosensitive material, to create a 2D photonic lattice in which the solitons form. Our results pave the way for the realization of a variety of nonlinear localization phenomena in photonic lattices and crystals. Finally, our observation directly relates to the proposed lattice solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates, which can be observed in optically induced periodic potentials.     

Repulsively bound atom pairs in an optical lattice

Throughout physics, stable composite objects are usually formed by way of attractive forces, which allow the constituents to lower their energy by binding together. Repulsive forces separate particles in free space. However, in a structured environment such as a periodic potential and in the absence of dissipation, stable composite objects can exist even for repulsive interactions. Here we report the observation of such an exotic bound state, which comprises a pair of ultracold rubidium atoms in an optical lattice. Consistent with our theoretical analysis, these repulsively bound pairs exhibit long lifetimes, even under conditions when they collide with one another. Signatures of the pairs are also recognized in the characteristic momentum distribution and through spectroscopic measurements. There is no analogue in traditional condensed matter systems of such repulsively bound pairs, owing to the presence of strong decay channels. Our results exemplify the strong correspondence between the optical lattice physics of ultracold bosonic atoms and the Bose-Hubbard model-a link that is vital for future applications of these systems to the study of strongly correlated condensed matter and to quantum information.     

Raman型原子激光制备过程中光场的压缩特性

研究了Raman型原子激光制备过程中探测光场的压缩特性．这种原子激光是利用钠原子玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体（BEC）与一束较弱的压缩相干态探测光和一束较强的经典泵浦光Raman跃迁相互作用制备得到的研究结果表明,压缩相干态探测光在原子激光制备过程中呈现周期性压缩,其压缩周期与原子阱中的平均原子数、光场与原子BEC相互作用强度及光场的失谐量等因素有关,压缩深度决定于探测光场的初始压缩因子．     

Bose-Einstein condensation on a microelectronic chip

Although Bose-Einstein condensates of ultracold atoms have been experimentally realizable for several years, their formation and manipulation still impose considerable technical challenges. An all-optical technique that enables faster production of Bose-Einstein condensates was recently reported. Here we demonstrate that the formation of a condensate can be greatly simplified using a microscopic magnetic trap on a chip. We achieve Bose-Einstein condensation inside the single vapour cell of a magneto-optical trap in as little as 700 ms-more than a factor of ten faster than typical experiments, and a factor of three faster than the all-optical technique. A coherent matter wave is emitted normal to the chip surface when the trapped atoms are released into free fall; alternatively, we couple the condensate into an 'atomic conveyor belt', which is used to transport the condensed cloud non-destructively over a macroscopic distance parallel to the chip surface. The possibility of manipulating laser-like coherent matter waves with such an integrated atom-optical system holds promise for applications in interferometry, holography, microscopy, atom lithography and quantum information processing.     

一维BEC中暗孤子在抛物势阱中的动力学

给出一维BEC中暗孤子在抛物势阱中的运动方程,并由此讨论暗孤子在抛物势阱中的动力学演化.结果表明:暗孤子在抛物势阱中呈周期运动.同时,通过数值模拟研究在Thomas-Ferm i近似下暗孤子在BEC中的演化情况,数值结果与理论预测非常一致.另外,我们还讨论暗孤子在抛物势阱中的相互作用,结果表明:暗孤子在抛物势阱中的相互作用呈周期性的弹性碰撞,并且随着孤子间隔的减小,周期碰撞的振幅越来越小,直到两个暗孤子合而为一;同时,随着孤子间隔的减小碰撞周期也随之减小.这与光学传输过程中的孤子相互作用是不同的.     

三体作用时玻色—爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的演化

利用变分法和数值模拟解Gross—Pitaevskii—Ginzburg方程，研究了原子的三体作用对波色一爱因斯坦凝聚体（BEC）孤子的演化的影响，发现三体作用的影响大于两体作用的影响，并与三体作用是排斥还是吸引有关。其效果与势阱中的原子数、势阱系数和BEC孤子脉冲的初始宽度有关。