Mainz 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 32: Photonics and Biophotonics II

Q 32.3: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 4. März 2026, 15:00–15:15, P 3

Vectorial SLM Holography for Flat, Low-Aberration Optical Traps — •Fiona Hellstern, Michael Wischert, Paul Uerlings, Kevin Ng, Tim Jeglortz, Stephan Welte, Ralf Klemt, and Tilman Pfau — 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology IQST, Universität Stuttgart

We present a self-developed framework for holographically generating high uniformity optical traps for ultracold atoms using a spatial light modulator (SLM) placed in the conjugate plane of the experiment. By correcting optical aberrations and producing homogeneous potentials, our framework establishes a reliable platform for quantum-gas experiments that require precise control and uniform trapping potentials. This is especially crucial, as spatial intensity variations shift the local chemical potential and can couple low-energy collective modes, making dynamical measurements unreliable. State-of-the-art hologram algorithms, including Gerchberg-Saxton, are often limited in applications for extended potentials. To overcome these limitations, we built a gradient-descent-based hologram optimization toolbox that directly minimizes intensity inhomogeneities. This approach yields smooth, low-aberration traps and achieves an order-of-magnitude reduction in RMS noise compared to conventional Gerchberg-Saxton holography. A central advantage of our framework is that it naturally goes beyond the assumptions of scalar Fourier optics. At numerical apertures around NA = 0.5, standard paraxial models break down, and accurate trap prediction requires non-paraxial and vectorial propagation models.

Keywords: SLM; Optical Traps; Holography; ultracold atoms