News – Page 13 – Dipolar Quantum Gases

Reaching Fermi Degeneracy via Universal Dipolar Scattering

31/01/201603/10/2015 by Philipp Ilzhöfer

ERBIUM NEWS

We report on the creation of the first degenerate dipolar Fermi gas of erbium atoms. We force evaporative cooling in a fully spin-polarized sample down to temperatures as low as 0.2 times the Fermi temperature. The strong magnetic dipole-dipole interaction enables elastic collisions between identical fermions even in the zero-energy limit. The measured elastic scattering cross section agrees well with the predictions from the dipolar scattering theory, which follow a universal scaling law depending only on the dipole moment and on the atomic mass. Our approach to quantum degeneracy proceeds with very high cooling efficiency and provides large atomic densities, and it may be extended to various dipolar systems. [more]

Bose-Einstein Condensation of Erbium

31/01/201603/10/2015 by Philipp Ilzhöfer

ERBIUM NEWS

We report on the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation of erbium atoms and on the observation of magnetic Feshbach resonances at low magnetic fields. By means of evaporative cooling in an optical dipole trap, we produce pure condensates of Er168, containing up to 7×104 atoms. Feshbach spectroscopy reveals an extraordinary rich loss spectrum with six loss resonances already in a narrow magnetic-field range up to 3 G. Finally, we demonstrate the application of a low-field Feshbach resonance to produce a tunable dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate and we observe its characteristic d-wave collapse. [more]

15/03/201827/07/2015 by FF

3D array of large-spin fermions

In joint theoretical and experimental work with our theory colleagues A.-M. Rey (JILA) and B. Zhu (ITAMP) we investigate dipolar induced magnetization-conserving spin exchange dynamics with fermionic Er in a 3D optical lattice

The ERBIUM lab

Excitation spectrum of a trapped dipolar supersolid

In a combined theory and experimental work, we study the elementary excitations of trapped dipolar quantum gases crossing from regular superfluid to supersolid.

First Dipolar Quantum Mixtures!

We have created for the first time a dipolar quantum mixture by combining two highly magnetic atomic species, Erbium and Dysprosium.

Observation of roton quasiparticles in Erbium

In collaboration with our theory collaborators from Innsbruck and Hannover, we have observed for the first time so-called roton quasiparticles in an ultracold bosonic gas of erbium atoms.

Our dipolar quantum gas group …

…we work with highly magnetic Erbium and Dysprosium atoms, which we cool to Nanokelvin temperatures in oder to explore the fascinating physics of the quantum world.

Working in ultrahigh vacuum

All our experiments are carried out at pressures of 10^(-11) mbar. In order to achieve these ultrahigh vacuums, carefully designed chambers need to be machined and assembled.

Trapping and cooling of quantum particles

In order to trap and cool Erbium and Dysprosium in magneto optical traps, we use one of their narrow-linewidth transitions. These transitions need yellow laser light for Erbium and red one for Dysprosium.

Trapping ultracold quantum particles

In order to investigate quamtumphysics, we need high power lasers to trap atoms. In our experiments we utilise for example green light to realise an optical lattice in which the atoms can be arranged on a periodic crystal structure.

Back in 2010

Yes, it started like this with our optical table arriving under the snow…

The Dipolar Quantum Gas Group is one of the three teams composing the Innsbruck Center for Ultracold Atoms and Quantum Gases. We focus on highly magnetic magnetic Lanthanide atoms, Erbium and Dysprosium, which are a novel and powerful resource for realizing dipolar quantum matter.

The group, led by Francesca Ferlaino, is located at the Institute for Experimental Physics (IExP) of the University of Innsbruck and at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

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