Spatial modulation of light for ultracold gas experiments with erbium atoms

by Daniel Petter

Abstract:

In this thesis, we study a technique enabling the manipulation of the phase and intensity distribution of a laser beam by means of a digital micromirror device and possible implementations in ultracold quantum gas experiments. The scheme presented can be used to correct phase aberrations present in the system leading to diffraction-limited laser patterns. These patterns have broad applications. They can be used for example to address single atoms in an optical lattice, single ions or NV-centers in diamonds. Furthermore, the control over the laser beams intensity distribution allows a multitude of different beam profiles. In a second part of the thesis, I will describe our work with ultracold, magnetic erbium atoms loaded into a three-dimensional optical lattice. Here I first introduce the extended Bose-Hubbard model, which includes magnetic dipole-dipole interaction. We study the superfluid to Mott insulator transition and observe for the first time nearest-neighbour interaction between the atoms, leading to an orientation-dependent energy gap in the spectrum of excitation in a Mott phase.

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Reference:

Spatial modulation of light for ultracold gas experiments with erbium atoms,
Daniel Petter,
Master’s Thesis, 2015.

Bibtex Entry:

@article{PetterMSc,
 title = {Spatial modulation of light for ultracold gas experiments with erbium atoms},
  author = {Petter, Daniel},
  journal = {Master's Thesis},
  year = {2015},
  month = {Jul},
  abstract = {In this thesis, we study a technique enabling the manipulation of the phase
and intensity distribution of a laser beam by means of a digital micromirror
device and possible implementations in ultracold quantum gas experiments.
The scheme presented can be used to correct phase aberrations present in
the system leading to diffraction-limited laser patterns. These patterns have
broad applications. They can be used for example to address single atoms in an
optical lattice, single ions or NV-centers in diamonds. Furthermore, the control
over the laser beams intensity distribution allows a multitude of different beam
profiles.
In a second part of the thesis, I will describe our work with ultracold,
magnetic erbium atoms loaded into a three-dimensional optical lattice. Here
I first introduce the extended Bose-Hubbard model, which includes magnetic
dipole-dipole interaction. We study the superfluid to Mott insulator transition
and observe for the first time nearest-neighbour interaction between the atoms,
leading to an orientation-dependent energy gap in the spectrum of excitation
in a Mott phase.},
  url = {http://www.erbium.at/FF/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DP_masterarbeit.pdf},
}