Ring-shaped Trap Research Articles

Control of the oscillation frequency of a vortex cluster in the trapped polariton condensate

An optically trapped exciton–polariton condensate forms states corresponding to excited energy levels of the confining potential. Recently, it was shown that non-uniformity of the ring-shaped trapping potential leads to the simultaneous occupation of two split energy levels. This results in the formation of an oscillating vortex cluster with periodically changing signs of topological charges. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the control of the topological charge oscillation frequency by tuning the ellipticity of the excitation profile. Our observations are corroborated using the linear Schrödinger equation for a two-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator. Our findings open a promising avenue for the investigation of optical vorticity properties and their applications in controllable settings.

Dark resonance spectra of trapped ions under the influence of micromotion

We study the influence of micromotion on the spectrum of trapped ions with a lambda-type level scheme, leading to dark resonances due to coherent population trapping. We work with calcium ions trapped in a ring-shaped Paul trap, in which one can compensate excess micromotion for only one ion of the crystal. We observe that micromotion affects the shapes of the dark resonances and causes the appearance of “echoes” separated by intervals given by the drive frequency. We present a theoretical model that provides good fits to the measurements and can be used to estimate the amplitude of the micromotion modulation of the atomic motion. We estimate an effective temperature of the ions from the spectra and observe clear micromotion heating as well as impaired cooling for sufficiently large excess micromotion.

Probe for bound states of SU(3) fermions and colour deconfinement

Fermionic artificial matter realized with cold atoms grants access to an unprecedented degree of control on sophisticated many-body effects with an enhanced flexibility of the operating conditions. Here, we consider three-component fermions with attractive interactions to study the formation of complex bound states, whose nature goes beyond the standard fermion pairing occurring in quantum materials. Such systems display clear analogies with quark matter. We address the nature of the bound states of a three-component fermionic system in a ring-shaped trap through the persistent current. In this way, we demonstrate that we can distinguish between color superfluid and trionic bound states. By analyzing finite temperature effects, we show how finite temperature can lead to the deconfinement of bound states. For weak interactions, the deconfinement occurs because of scattering states. In this regime, the deconfinement depends on the trade-off between interactions and thermal fluctuations. For strong interactions the features of the persistent current result from the properties of a suitable gas of bound states.

Acoustic Subwavelength Manipulation of Particles with a Quasiperiodic Plate

Acoustic manipulation has been a topic of significant research in recent years. However, the trapping scale in the radiative acoustic field domain is severely limited by the diffraction limit of the classic wave. Here, we report on a simple strategy to create multiple acoustic diffraction-limit-broken spots at different spatial positions in the far-field region for a wide frequency range. The subwavelength acoustic field comes from the interference of the plentiful diffractive beams specific to a quasiperiodic structure plate. We analyze the acoustic radiation force of the gradient field at multiheight plane above the plate for different frequencies and further demonstrate acoustic pushing and ring-shaped trapping of polystyrene particles within this subwavelength region. This work could be envisaged to pave a way for high-resolution manipulation of tiny particles in biomedical and cell research fields.

Thermal stability of a quantum rotation sensor

We investigate the thermal instability of a Bose-Einstein condensate stirred by a rotating barrier in a ring-shaped trap. One would expect the critical angular speed to decrease with increasing temperature due to depletion of the condensate. However, we show that the critical velocity remains approximately constant within a considerable range of temperatures, contrary to expectation, and the thermal cloud has a stabilizing effect.

Ring-shaped optical trap based on an acousto-optic tunable spatial filter.

We report on a novel, to the best of our knowledge, optical scheme of an annular optical trap based on an acousto-optic tunable spatial filter. Design of the optical trap is proposed and validated. Experimental demonstration with polystyrene microspheres includes controllable arrangement of freely floating particles into a circular pattern, aggregation, and disaggregation of the particles. Dynamical adjustment of the trapping field potential diameter is achieved by programmable frequency-swept controlling of the acousto-optic filter.

Projected Gross–Pitaevskii Equation for Ring-Shaped Bose–Einstein Condensates

We propose an alternative implementation of the projected Gross–Pitaevskki equation adapted for a numerical modeling of the atomic Bose–Einstein condensate trapped in a toroidally shaped potential. We present an accurate efficient scheme to evaluate the required matrix elements and to calculate tthe ime evolution of the matter wave field. We analyze the stability and accuracy of the developed method for equilibrium and nonequilibrium solutions in a ring-shaped trap with an additional barrier potential corresponding to recent experimental realizations.

Expanding ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates as analogs of cosmological models: Analytical characterization of the inflationary dynamics

We analytically study the expansion of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a ring-shaped trap with an increasing central radius. The evolution of the ground state is described using a scaling transform. Additionally, the dynamics of excited azimuthal modes over the varying ground state is analyzed through a generalization of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes approach. Our results explain some of the features observed in recent experiments focused on testing the applicability of the system as a parallel of cosmological inflationary models. The radial dynamics, which corresponds to the inflaton field of the cosmological counterpart, is analytically characterized: The expansion is found to induce the oscillatory displacement of the condensate as well as the coupled variation of the radial and vertical widths. Our findings account also for the observed redshift and emergence of the Hubble friction in the evolution of initially-prepared azimuthal modes. Our description, which traces the role of the different components of the setup in the expansion, enhances the controllability, and, therefore, the potential of the system as a ground for emulating the inflationary dynamics of cosmological models.

Quantum magnetism with ultracold bosons carrying orbital angular momentum

We show how strongly correlated ultracold bosonic atoms loaded in specific orbital angular momentum states of arrays of cylindrically symmetric potentials can realize a variety of spin-1/2 models of quantum magnetism. We consider explicitly the dependence of the effective couplings on the geometry of the system and demonstrate that several models of interest related to a general $XYZ$ Heisenberg model with external field can be obtained. Furthermore, we discuss how the relative strength of the effective couplings can be tuned and which phases can be explored by doing so in realistic setups. Finally, we address questions concerning the experimental read-out and implementation and we argue that the stability of the system can be enhanced by using ring-shaped trapping potentials.

Ultrasonic super-oscillation wave-packets with an acoustic meta-lens

The Schrödinger equation is a fundamental equation to describe the wave function of a quantum-mechanical system. The similar forms between the Schrödinger equation and the paraxial wave equation allow a paradigm shift from the quantum mechanics to classical fields, opening up a plethora of interesting phenomena including the optical super-oscillatory behavior. Here, we propose an ultrasonic meta-lens for generating super-oscillation acoustic wave-packets with different spatial momenta and then superimposing them to a diffraction-limit-broken spot, visually represented by the ring-shaped trapping of tiny particles. Moreover, based on the focused super-oscillation packets, we experimentally verify proof-of-concept super-resolution ultrasound imaging, opening up the arena of super-oscillation ultrasonics for advanced acoustic imaging, biomedical applications, and versatile far-field ultrasound control.

Nonlinear waves in an experimentally motivated ring-shaped Bose-Einstein-condensate setup

We systematically construct stationary soliton states in a one-component, two-dimensional, repulsive, Gross-Pitaevskii equation with a ring-shaped target-like trap similar to the potential used to confine a Bose-Einstein condensate in a recent experiment [Eckel, et al.\ {\em Nature} {\bf 506}, 200 (2014)]. In addition to the ground state configuration, we identify a wide variety of excited states involving phase jumps (and associated dark solitons) inside the ring. These configurations are obtained from a systematic bifurcation analysis starting from the linear, small atom density, limit. We study the stability, and when unstable, the dynamics of the most basic configurations. Often these lead to vortical dynamics inside the ring persisting over long time scales in our numerical experiments. To illustrate the relevance of the identified states, we showcase how such dark-soliton configurations (even the unstable ones) can be created in laboratory condensates by using phase-imprinting techniques.

Dynamics in multiple-well Bose-Einstein condensates

We study the dynamics of three-dimensional weakly linked Bose-Einstein condensates using a multimode model with an effective interaction parameter. The system is confined by a ring-shaped four-well trapping potential. By constructing a two-mode Hamiltonian in a reduced highly symmetric phase space, we examine the periodic orbits and calculate their time periods both in the self-trapping and Josephson regimes. The dynamics in the vicinity of the reduced phase space is investigated by means of a Floquet multiplier analysis, finding regions of different linear stability and analyzing their implications on the exact dynamics. The numerical exploration in an extended region of the phase space demonstrates that two-mode tools can also be useful for performing a partition of the space in different regimes. Comparisons with Gross-Pitaevskii simulations confirm these findings and emphasize the importance of properly determining the effective on-site interaction parameter governing the multimode dynamics.

Relaxation Dynamics in the Merging of N Independent Condensates.

Controlled quantum systems such as ultracold atoms can provide powerful platforms to study nonequilibrium dynamics of closed many-body quantum systems, especially since a complete theoretical description is generally challenging. In this Letter, we present a detailed study of the rich out-of-equilibrium dynamics of an adjustable number N of uncorrelated condensates after connecting them in a ring-shaped optical trap. We observe the formation of long-lived supercurrents and confirm the scaling of their winding number with N in agreement with the geodesic rule. Moreover, we provide insight into the microscopic mechanism that underlies the smoothening of the phase profile.

Resonant wavepackets and shock waves in an atomtronic SQUID

The fundamental dynamics of ultracold atomtronic devices are reflected in their phonon modes of excitation. We probe such a spectrum by applying a harmonically driven potential barrier to a 23Na Bose–Einstein condensate in a ring-shaped trap. This perturbation excites phonon wavepackets. When excited resonantly, these wavepackets display a regular periodic structure. The resonant frequencies depend upon the particular configuration of the barrier, but are commensurate with the orbital frequency of a Bogoliubov sound wave traveling around the ring. Energy transfer to the condensate over many cycles of the periodic wavepacket motion causes enhanced atom loss from the trap at resonant frequencies. Solutions of the time-dependent Gross–Pitaevskii equation exhibit quantitative agreement with the experimental data. We also observe the generation of supersonic shock waves under conditions of strong excitation, and collisions of two shock wavepackets.

Ring-shaped trap holds ions in check

Ring-shaped trap holds ions in check

Spatially localised luminescence emission properties induced by formation of ring-shaped quasi-potential trap around V-pits in InGaN epi-layers

The correlation between surface structural and luminescence properties of InGaN epi-layers grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition has been investigated. Ring-shaped regions with high In-content are observed around V-pits by spatial resolved cathodoluminescence and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These ring-shaped regions are found to form a potential energy well with depth about 300 meV with respect to the ordinary regions, which can attract carriers and suppress non-radiative recombination. The causes of the formation of high-In-content region are discussed. This localised characteristic of carriers is supported further by power and temperature dependent photoluminescence results. The understanding of the spatially emission characteristics might be helpful to improving the internal quantum efficiency of InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Electro-optical trap for dipolar excitons

An electro-optical trap for spatially indirect dipolar excitons is implemented in a GaAs/AlAs Schottky diode with a 400-A-wide GaAs single quantum well. In the presence of bias voltage applied to the gate, the trap for excitons appears upon annular illumination of the structure by a continuous-wave or pulsed laser generating hot electron-hole pairs in the quantum well. A barrier for excitons collected inside the illuminated ring appears due to screening of the applied electric field by nonequilibrium charge carriers within the excitation region. Excitons are collected inside the ring due to the ambipolar drift of carriers and the dipole-dipole repulsion of excitons in the optically pumped region. For dipolar excitons thus accumulated in the middle of the ring-shaped electro-optical trap, significant narrowing of the luminescence line is observed with increasing excitation density, which indicates the collective behavior of the excitons.

Space-Time Crystals of Trapped Ions

Spontaneous symmetry breaking can lead to the formation of time crystals, as well as spatial crystals. Here we propose a space-time crystal of trapped ions and a method to realize it experimentally by confining ions in a ring-shaped trapping potential with a static magnetic field. The ions spontaneously form a spatial ring crystal due to Coulomb repulsion. This ion crystal can rotate persistently at the lowest quantum energy state in magnetic fields with fractional fluxes. The persistent rotation of trapped ions produces the temporal order, leading to the formation of a space-time crystal. We show that these space-time crystals are robust for direct experimental observation. We also study the effects of finite temperatures on the persistent rotation. The proposed space-time crystals of trapped ions provide a new dimension for exploring many-body physics and emerging properties of matter.

Phase diagram of the bose condensation of dipolar excitons in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well heterostructures

Experimental studies of the phase diagram of Bose condensation in a system of spatially indirect dipolar excitons in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells are reviewed. The properties of spatially periodic patterns arising in the luminescence of the exciton Bose condensate in a ring-shaped potential trap and the coherence of the condensate luminescence are discussed.

Dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in a ring or in a shell

We study properties of a trapped dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a circular ring or a spherical shell using the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation. In the case of the ring-shaped trap we consider different orientations of the ring with respect to the polarization direction of the dipoles. In the presence of long-range anisotropic dipolar and short-range contact interactions, the anisotropic density distribution of the dipolar BEC in both traps is discussed in detail. The stability condition of the dipolar BEC in both traps is illustrated in phase plot of dipolar and contact interactions. We also study and discuss the properties of a vortex dipolar BEC in these traps.