Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2005 72nd Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the APS
Thursday–Saturday, November 10–12, 2005; Gainesville, FL
Session HA: Bose Einstein Condensates, Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Invited Session |
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Chair: Thomas Gallagher, University of Virginia Room: Hilton Century A |
Friday, November 11, 2005 2:00PM - 2:36PM |
HA.00001: Towards Atom Interferometry using Bose-Einstein Condensates Invited Speaker: Just as the laser revolutionized optical interferometry, it can be hoped that Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) will permit great advances in atom interferometry. Potential applications include inertial navigation, oil exploration, and measurements of chemical interactions. However, BEC interferometry also presents substanital challenges. Experiments to date have been limited to propagation times of about 10 ms, which is too short for precision measurements. It is thought that interatomic interactions are the main limiting factor. We will describe our recent implementation of a BEC apparatus including a novel waveguide structure that is capable of confining atoms at very low densities to avoid interaction effects. We will also report on our efforts to observe interference in this device. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, November 11, 2005 2:36PM - 3:12PM |
HA.00002: Novel light traps for studying ultracold atoms and molecules Invited Speaker: We will begin with a brief review of the physics of cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules. We will then specialize the discussion to include two experiments in which unusual traps have been realized. In the first experiment, a pulsed optical dipole force trap, loaded from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) is used to confine atomic rubidium (Rb). The trap has been constructed with a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser. We have made a comparative study of pulsed vs. continuous wave operation of the trap. We will discuss results of our investigation and extension of this study to include the free electron laser at Jefferson Lab. In the second experiment, we are investigating the interaction between ultracold Rb atoms and ultracold, metastable argon (Ar*) simultaneously confined in a dual species MOT. We will report on recent measurements of the inter-species trap loss coefficients and on studies of Penning and associative ionization in the MOT using a modified residual gas analyzer as a detector. We will also discuss photoassociative spectroscopy of the Rb-Ar* complex and prospects for producing and spatially confining ultracold, ground state RbAr, a weakly-bound van der Waals molecule. Research supported by the NSF, ONR, KOSEF, Jefferson Lab, and Old Dominion University. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, November 11, 2005 3:12PM - 3:48PM |
HA.00003: Slow-light nonlinear optics with cold atoms Invited Speaker: Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) suppresses linear absorption and results in steep normal dispersion for light propagating in an absorbing medium, which renders it possible to study nonlinear optical phenomena at low light intensities and under slow light propagation conditions. We will discuss the basic physics of the atomic coherence and interference, and present experimental studies of the EIT-assisted nonlinear optics with cold atoms. Specific examples, such as slow and superluminal light propagation in cold atoms, and nonlinear wave mixing at low light intensities will be discussed. We will also present our recent experimental results on the phase dependent interference and light switching light at low power levels. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation. [Preview Abstract] |
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