Hannover 2013 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 56: Poster III

Q 56.2: Poster

Thursday, March 21, 2013, 16:00–18:30, Empore Lichthof

Cavity assited momentum transfer in a Bose-Einstein condensate — •Hans Keßler, Jens Klinder, Matthias Wolke, Hannes Winter, and Andreas Hemmerich — ILP, Universität Hamburg

Conventional laser cooling relies on repeated electronic excitations by near-resonant light, which constrains its area of application to a selected number of atomic species prepared at moderate parti- cle densities. Optical cavities with a Purcell factor exceeding unity allow to implement laser cooling schemes using off-resonant light-scattering, which avoid the limitations imposed by spontaneous emis- sion. Here, we report on an atom-cavity system, combining a Purcell factor around 40 with a cavity bandwidth (9 kHz) below the recoil frequency associated with the kinetic energy transfer in a single pho- ton scattering event (14 kHz). This lets us access a yet unexplored fundamental quantum mechanical regime of atom-cavity interactions, in which the atomic motion can be manipulated by targeted dissi- pation with sub-recoil resolution. We demonstrate cavity-induced heating of a of 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate and subsequent cooling at particle densities and temperatures incompatible with conven- tional laser cooling.