Tight Trap Research Articles

Wide-angle ultrabroadband absorption in black phosphorus/dielectric multilayer anisotropic metamaterials

An ultrabroadband far-infrared absorber is achieved using an anisotropic metamaterial composed of alternating black phosphorus (BP) and dielectric films arranged in a trapezoidal structure. We numerically demonstrate that ultrabroad bandwidths (with >90% absorptivity) can be achieved with the strong anisotropic dielectric response of BP, namely 63.6 μm along the armchair direction and 53.6 μm along the zigzag direction. Importantly, the high absorption is maintained across a wide range of incident angles. Our simulation results align well with analytical calculations based on the effective medium theory, considering the multilayer structure as an effective homogeneous metamaterial with anisotropic permittivity. From the distribution profiles of magnetic fields, we observe tight trapping of different wavelengths at varying widths of the trapezoidal absorber, revealing the slow-light effect underlying the broadband absorption. Our study holds significant potential for device applications, such as BP-based broadband infrared photodetectors.

Controllable atomic collision in a tight optical dipole trap.

Single atoms are interesting candidates for studying quantum optics and quantum information processing. Recently, trapping and manipulation of single atoms using tight optical dipole traps has generated considerable interest. Here we report an experimental investigation of the dynamics of atoms in a modified optical dipole trap with a backward propagating dipole trap beam, where a change in the two-atom collision rate by six times has been achieved. The theoretical model presented gives a prediction of high probabilities of few-atom loading rates under proper experimental conditions. This work provides an alternative approach to the control of the few-atom dynamics in a dipole trap and the study of the collective quantum optical effects of a few atoms.

Interpenetration Symmetry Control Within Ultramicroporous Robust Boron Cluster Hybrid MOFs for Benchmark Purification of Acetylene from Carbon Dioxide

AbstractThe separation of C2H2/CO2 is an important process in industry but challenged by the trade‐off of capacity and selectivity owning to their similar physical properties and identical kinetic molecular size. We report the first example of symmetrically interpenetrated dodecaborate pillared MOF, ZNU‐1, for benchmark selective separation of C2H2 from CO2 with a high C2H2 capacity of 76.3 cm3 g−1 and record C2H2/CO2 selectivity of 56.6 (298 K, 1 bar) among all the robust porous materials without open metal sites. Single crystal structure analysis and modeling indicated that the interpenetration shifting from asymmetric to symmetric mode provided optimal pore chemistry with ideal synergistic “2+2” dihydrogen bonding sites for tight C2H2 trapping. The exceptional separation performance was further evidenced by simulated and experimental breakthroughs with excellent recyclability and high productivity (2.4 mol kg−1) of 99.5 % purity C2H2 during stepped desorption process.

Acoustophoretic patterning of microparticles in a microfluidic chamber driven by standing Lamb waves

The contactless manipulation of microparticles and cells by using acoustic forces is important in many applications. However, multi-band acoustophoresis has been rarely investigated in the literature. In this Letter, we propose a microscale acoustofluidic system that has multiple orders of available Lamb modes for the acoustic trapping of microparticles at various frequencies. In our device, standing Lamb waves (SLWs) of specific orders can be selectively excited in a 300-μm-thick piezoelectric lithium-niobate (LiNbO3) crystal plate by a pair of interdigitated transducers (IDTs) at the corresponding frequency. We demonstrate the acoustophoretic trapping and patterning of 7-μm particles in a single acoustofluidic device with multiple available actuating frequencies. The approach to the proposed design and the working mechanisms are explained by using thin plate and a full-wave models that solve the dispersion relations and coupling fields of the piezoelectric SLW acoustofluidic system, respectively. Furthermore, we experimentally show that the stable and tight trapping of particles in the chamber can be achieved independently along two mutually orthogonal directions. This provides the essential ground for planar manipulations of microparticles and cells based on the proposed device. The results here can trigger more innovative designs and applications of acoustofluidic devices for microparticle manipulation and microfluidic mixing, with multi-frequency channels and a wide span of different actuating frequencies in one system.

Quasi-Adiabatic External State Preparation of Ultracold Atoms in Microgravity

The Cold Atom Laboratory on the International Space Station produces ultracold gases of rubidium and potassium in a tight magnetic trap near the surface of a magnetic chip. In order to use these samples in long-duration field-free experiments, the atoms must be moved away from the chip, expanded to larger volume, and released from the trap. We describe how these goals can be achieved using quasi-adiabatic techniques. For rubidium atoms, we demonstrate a displacement of 0.6 mm and expansion into a trap with a mean oscillation frequency of 6.4 Hz. The center-of-mass release velocity and the condensate expansion velocity are about 0.2 mm/s each. An unexpectedly large background magnetic field gradient is observed, which limits the usable interaction time for the released atoms.

Interaction effects on the PT -symmetry-breaking transition in atomic gases

Non-Hermitian systems having parity-time ($\mathcal {PT}$) symmetry can undergo a transition, spontaneously breaking the symmetry. Ultracold atomic gases provide an ideal platform to study interaction effects on the transition. We consider a model system of $N$ bosons of two components confined in a tight trap. Radio frequency and laser fields are coupled to the bosons such that the single particle Non-Hermitian Hamiltonian $h_{\mathcal PT}=-i \Gamma\sigma_z+J\sigma_x$, which has $\mathcal {PT}$-symmetry, can be simulated in a \emph{passive} way. We show that when interatomic interactions are tuned to maintain the symmetry, the $\mathcal {PT}$-symmetry breaking transition is affected only by the SU(2) variant part of the interactions parameterized by $\delta g$. We find that the transition point $\Gamma_{\rm tr}$ decreases as $|\delta g|$ or $N$ increases; in the large $|\delta g|$ limit, $\Gamma_{\rm tr}$ scales as $\sim|\delta g|^{-(N-1)}$. We also give signatures of the $\mathcal {PT}$-symmetric and the symmetry breaking phases for the interacting bosons in experiment.

Proposal for the formation of ultracold deeply bound RbSr dipolar molecules by all-optical methods

Ultracold paramagnetic and polar diatomic molecules are among the promising systems for quantum simulation of lattice-spin models. Unfortunately, their experimental observation is still challenging. Based on our recent \textit{ab-initio} calculations, we analyze the feasibility of all-optical schemes for the formation of ultracold $^{87}$Rb$^{84}$Sr bosonic molecules. First, we have studied the formation by photoassociation followed by spontaneous emission. The photoassociation rates to levels belonging to electronic states converging to the $^{87}$Rb$(5s\,^2S)$+$^{84}$Sr($5s5p\,^3P_{0,1,2}$) asymptotes are particularly small close to the asymptote. The creation of molecules would be more interesting by using deeply levels that preferentially relaxes to the $v''=0$ level of the ground state. On the other hands, the photoassociation rates to levels belonging to electronic states converging to the Rb$(5p\,^2P_{1/2,3/2})$+Sr($5s^2\,^1S$) asymptotes have high value close to the asymptote. The relaxation from the levels close to the asymptotes creates weakly-bound molecules in mosty only one vibrational level. Second, stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) achieved in a tight optical trap efficiently creates weakly-bound ground-state molecules in a well-defined level, thus providing an alternative to magnetic Feshbach resonances to implement several schemes for an adiabatic population transfer toward the lowest ground-state level of RbSr. Finally, we have studied STIRAP process for transferring the weakly-bound molecules into the $v''=0$ level of the RbSr ground state.

Low-Frequency Noise in Supported and Suspended MoS2 Transistors

Sensitivity of sensors, the phase noise of oscillators, and intrinsic device performance at the nanoscale are primarily limited by fluctuations in resistance at low frequencies, also called flicker noise. These intrinsic fluctuations in resistance become more prominent in two-dimensional materials due to their ultrathin nature. Here, we report the low-frequency noise (LFN) behavior of supported and suspended MoS2 FETs. Carrier-number fluctuation mechanism was found to be responsible for LFN in both configurations. The extracted frequency index ( $\gamma $ in 1/ ${f}^\gamma $ ) indicates the different trap time constants and mechanisms responsible for LFN in MoS2 transistors. A $\gamma $ value of 2 in suspended transistors indicates a tight trap time-constant distribution likely due to recombination–generation through trap states arising only from intrinsic defects and/or extrinsic adsorbates. A wide time-constant distribution ( $\gamma \!\sim \textsf {1}$ to 1.4) in supported transistors indicates the presence of various kinds of traps, such as adsorbates, intrinsic defects, as well as interface and oxide traps. Furthermore, variation in S0 (characterizes the magnitude of noise) with gate voltage in both supported and suspended device configurations was validated analytically using the carrier-number fluctuation model.

Scattering of particles in the presence of harmonic confinement perturbed by a complex absorbing potential

A system of two interacting atoms confined in 1D harmonic trap and perturbed by an absorbing boundary potential is studied using the Lippmann–Schwinger formalism. The atom–atom interaction potential was considered as a nonlocal separable model. The perturbed absorbing boundary potential was also assumed in the form of Scarf II complex absorbing potential. The model is used for the study of 1D optical lattices that support the trapping of a pair atom within a unit cell. Moreover, it allows to describe the scattering particles in a tight smooth trapping surface and to analyze the bound and resonance states. The analytical expressions for wavefunctions and transition matrix as well as the absorption probabilities are calculated. A demonstration of how the complex absorbing potential affecting the bound states and resonances of particles confined in a harmonic trap is described.

Venus Flytrap: How an Excitable, Carnivorous Plant Works.

The carnivorous plant Dionaea possesses very sensitive mechanoreceptors. Upon contact with prey an action potential is triggered which, via an electrical network - comparable to the nervous system of vertebrates - rapidly closes its bivalved trap. The 'hunting cycle' comprises a constitutively activated mechanism for the rapid capture of prey, followed by a well-orchestrated sequence of activation of genes responsible for tight trap closure, digestion of the prey, and uptake of nutrients. Decisions on the step-by-step activation are based on 'counting' the number of stimulations of sensory organs. These remarkable animal-like skills in the carnivore are achieved not by taking over genes from its prey but by modifying and rearranging the functions of genes that are ubiquitous in plants.

Optical tweezing and binding at high irradiation powers on black-Si

Nowadays, optical tweezers have undergone explosive developments in accordance with a great progress of lasers. In the last decade, a breakthrough brought optical tweezers into the nano-world, overcoming the diffraction limit. This is called plasmonic optical tweezers (POT). POT are powerful tools used to manipulate nanomaterials. However, POT has several practical issues that need to be overcome. First, it is rather difficult to fabricate plasmonic nanogap structures regularly and rapidly at low cost. Second, in many cases, POT suffers from thermal effects (Marangoni convection and thermophoresis). Here, we propose an alternative approach using a nano-structured material that can enhance the optical force and be applied to optical tweezers. This material is metal-free black silicon (MFBS), the plasma etched nano-textured Si. We demonstrate that MFBS-based optical tweezers can efficiently manipulate small particles by trapping and binding. The advantages of MFBS-based optical tweezers are: (1) simple fabrication with high uniformity over wafer-sized areas, (2) free from thermal effects detrimental for trapping, (3) switchable trapping between one and two - dimensions, (4) tight trapping because of no detrimental thermal forces. This is the NON-PLASMONIC optical tweezers.

Quantum Rabi model in a superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate

We propose a quantum simulation of the quantum Rabi model in an atomic quantum dot, which is a single atom in a tight optical trap coupled to the quasiparticle modes of a superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate. This widely tunable setup allows to simulate the ultrastrong coupling regime of light-matter interaction in a system which enjoys an amenable characteristic timescale, paving the way for an experimental analysis of the transition between the Jaynes-Cummings and the quantum Rabi dynamics using cold-atom systems. Our scheme can be naturally extended to simulate multi-qubit quantum Rabi models. In particular, we discuss the appearance of effective two-qubit interactions due to phononic exchange, among other features.

Ultracold atoms in quasi-one-dimensional traps: A step beyond the Lieb-Liniger model

Ultracold atoms placed in a tight cigar-shaped trap are usually described in terms of the Lieb-Liniger model. We study the extensions of this model which arise when van der Waals interaction between atoms is taken into account. We find that the corrections induced by the finite range of interactions can become especially important in the vicinity of narrow Feshbach resonances and suggest realistic schemes of their experimental detection. The interplay of confinement and interactions can lead to effective transparency where the one-dimensional interactions are weak in a wide range of parameters.

Dimensional reduction in Bose-Einstein condensed clouds of atoms confined in tight potentials of any geometry and any interaction strength.

Motivated by numerous experiments on Bose-Einstein condensed atoms which have been performed in tight trapping potentials of various geometries [elongated and/or toroidal (annular)], we develop a general method which allows us to reduce the corresponding three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the order parameter into an effectively one-dimensional equation, taking into account the interactions (i.e., treating the width of the transverse profile variationally) and the curvature of the trapping potential. As an application of our model we consider atoms which rotate in a toroidal trapping potential. We evaluate the state of lowest energy for a fixed value of the angular momentum within various approximations of the effectively one-dimensional model and compare our results with the full solution of the three-dimensional problem, thus getting evidence for the accuracy of our model.

Optical trapping of nanoparticles by full solid-angle focusing

Optical dipole traps are used for trapping and localizing particles in various scientific fields, including classical optics, quantum optics, and biophysics. Here, we propose and implement a dipole trap for nanoparticles that is based on focusing from the full solid angle with a deep parabolic mirror. The key aspect is the generation of a linear-dipole mode, which is predicted to provide a tight trapping potential. We demonstrate the trapping of rod-shaped nanoparticles and validate the trapping frequencies to be of the order of the expected ones. The described realization of an optical trap is applicable for various other kinds of solid-state targets. The obtained results demonstrate the feasibility of optical dipole traps that simultaneously provide high trap stiffness and allow for efficient interaction of light and matter in free space.

Trapping of Highly Birefringent Rutile Nanocylinders in the Optical Torque Wrench

The optical torque wrench (OTW) is a powerful technique to measure the torsional properties of different biomolecules, including DNA, DNA- processing protein complexes and rotary motors. To date, quartz has proven to be a convenient birefringent material out of which to synthesize the micron-sized particles essential for this technique. However, the relatively low birefringence of quartz, which limits the maximal torque that can be applied in OTW, hampers the study of certain biological systems. A more attractive material is rutile, which has a thirty-fold higher birefringence. To date, however, the application of rutile in the trapping has been restricted due to its high refractive index, which results in low trapping efficiency. Here, we have employed finite element method calculations to determine the optimal dimensions of sub-micron-sized rutile cylinders for tight stable optical trapping. Using these calculations as a guideline, we have designed and devel- oped a nanofabrication protocol that allows us to produce rutile cylinders with the desired sizes at high yield. We have characterized the fabricated cylinders in the OTW setup and quantified both their linear and angular trapping proper- ties. In addition, we demonstrate full translational and rotational control of these functionalized cylinders tethered to individual DNA molecules for use in single-molecule applications.

Optical trapping and manipulation of nanoparticles using a meta plasmonic structure

In this paper, a novel structure of nano optical tweezers using triple-slit plasmonic grating structure is introduced and analyzed. The tweezers have deep potential wells that can trap sub-10 nm dielectric particle stably and efficiently. The resultant 50 KT potential well provides tight 2D trapping to the particle. The plasmonic device allows for steering the particle by simply changing the angle of the incident plane. This simple control allows efficient manipulation of the trapped particle over wide range of angles.

Optimal scaling of persistent currents for interacting bosons on a ring

We consider the persistent currents induced by an artificial gauge field applied to interacting ultra-cold bosonic atoms in a tight ring trap. Using both analytical and numerical methods, we study the scaling of the persistent current amplitude with the size of the ring. In the strongly interacting regime we find a power-law scaling, in good agreement with the predictions of the Luttinger-liquid theory. By exploring all interaction regimes we find that the scaling is optimal, i.e. the current amplitude decreases slower with the system size, at intermediate interactions.

Archimedean-Spiral-Based Microchip Ring Waveguide for Cold Atoms

We present a scheme for generating a ring magnetic waveguide on a single-layer atom chip. The wire layout consists of two interleaved Archimedean spirals of the same size. The waveguide avoids the trapping perturbation caused by the input and output ports, resulting in an enclosed guiding loop for neutral atoms in weak-field seeking states. Such a configuration can create a tight and deep trap potential with a small current. Taking the |F = 2, mF = 2〉 state of 87Rb as an example, the trap frequency and depth are estimated to be 18 kHz and 335 μK, respectively, with a dc current of 2 A.

Mapping the two-component atomic Fermi gas to the nuclear shell-model

The physics of a two-component cold fermi gas is now frequently addressed in laboratories. Usually this is done for large samples of tens to hundreds of thousands of particles. However, it is now possible to produce few-body systems (1-100 particles) in very tight traps where the shell structure of the external potential becomes important. A system of two-species fermionic cold atoms with an attractive zero-range interaction is analogous to a simple model of nucleus in which neutrons and protons interact only through a residual pairing interaction. In this article, we discuss how the problem of a two-component atomic fermi gas in a tight external trap can be mapped to the nuclear shell model so that readily available many-body techniques in nuclear physics, such as the Shell Model Monte Carlo (SMMC) method, can be directly applied to the study of these systems. We demonstrate an application of the SMMC method by estimating the pairing correlations in a small two-component Fermi system with moderate-to-strong short-range two-body interactions in a three-dimensional harmonic external trapping potential.