Search

In multistate non-Hermitian systems, higher-order exceptional points and exotic phenomena with no analogues in two-level systems arise. A paradigm is the exceptional nexus (EX), a third-order EP as the cusp singularity of exceptional arcs (EAs), that has a hybrid topological nature. Using atomic Bose-Einstein condensates to implement a dissipative three-state system, we experimentally realize an EX within a two-parameter space, despite the absence of symmetry. The engineered dissipation exhibits density dependence due to the collective atomic response to resonant light. Based on extensive analysis of the system's decay dynamics, we demonstrate the formation of an EX from the coalescence of two EAs with distinct geometries. These structures arise from the different roles played by dissipation in the strong coupling limit and quantum Zeno regime. Our work paves the way for exploring higher-order exceptional physics in the many-body setting of ultracold atoms., Comment: accepted by PRL

We study temporal oscillations, known as dynamical beats, developed by a propagating pulse due to its interaction with a near-resonant collective medium of $^{133}$Cs atoms randomly captured by a nanofiber-based optical lattice. A phenomenological theory provides an intuitive explanation and quantitative predictions, which are improved by an input-output theory considering multiple-scattering between the atoms. The results deepen our understanding of light propagation in waveguide QED, essential in time-frequency analysis and light engineering for probing, manipulating, and exploiting many-body quantum systems.

We report three orders of magnitude optical cooling of the fundamental torsional mode of a 5 mm-long, 550 nm diameter optical nanofiber. The rotation of the nanofiber couples to the polarization of guided laser fields. We use a weak laser probe to monitor the rotation, and use feedback to modulate the polarization of an auxiliary drive laser providing torque. Our results present a tool for the optomechanical control of large-scale torsional resonators, with metrological applications and potential implications for studying macroscopic objects in quantum states.

Atoms are ideal quantum sensors and quantum light emitters. Interfacing atoms with nanophotonic devices promises novel nanoscale sensing and quantum optical functionalities. But precise optical control of atomic states in these devices is challenged by the spatially varying light-atom coupling strength, generic to nanophotonic. We demonstrate numerically that despite the inhomogenuity, composite picosecond optical pulses with optimally tailored phases are able to evanescently control the atomic electric dipole transitions nearly perfectly, with $f>99\%$ fidelity across large enough volumes for {\it e.g.} controlling cold atoms confined in near-field optical lattices. Our proposal is followed by a proof-of-principle demonstration with a $^{85}$Rb vapor -- optical nanofiber interface, where the excitation by an $N=3$ sequence of guided picosecond D1 control reduces the absorption of a co-guided nanosecond D2 probe by up to $\sim70\%$. The close-to-ideal performance is corroborated by comparing the absorption data across the parameter space with first-principle modeling of the mesoscopic atomic vapor response. Extension of the composite technique to $N\geq 5$ appears highly feasible to support arbitrary local control of atomic dipoles with exquisite precision. This unprecedented ability would allow error-resilient atomic spectroscopy and open up novel nonlinear quantum optical research with atom-nanophotonic interfaces., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, substantial revision

We report the observation of microwave coherent control of rotational states of ultracold $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules formed in their vibronic ground state by short-range photoassociation. Molecules are formed in the single rotational state $X(v=0,J=1)$ by exciting pairs of atoms to the short-range state $(2)^{3}\Pi_{0^{-}} (v=11, J=0)$, followed by spontaneous decay. We use depletion spectroscopy to record the dynamic evolution of the population distribution and observe clear Rabi oscillations while irradiating on a microwave transition between coupled neighbouring rotational levels. A density-matrix formalism that accounts for longitudinal and transverse decay times reproduces both the dynamic evolution during the coherent process and the equilibrium population. The coherent control reported here is valuable both for investigating coherent quantum effects and for applications of cold polar molecules produced by continuous short-range photoassociation., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We demonstrate the optomechanical cooling of a tapered optical nanofiber by coupling the polarization of light to the mechanical angular momentum of the system. The coupling is enabled by birefringence in the fiber and does not make use of an optical resonator. We find evidence for cooling in the distribution of thermally driven amplitude fluctuations and the noise spectrum of the torsional modes. Our proof-of-principle demonstration shows cavity-less cooling of the torsional degree of freedom of a macroscopically extended nanofiber.

We have demonstrated microwave-assisted coherent control of ultracold $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules with a ladder-type configuration of rotational states. A probe microwave (MW) field is used to couple a lower state $X^1\Sigma^+(v=0, J=1)$ and a middle state $X^1\Sigma^+(v=0, J=2)$, while a control MW field couples the middle state and a upper state $X^1\Sigma^+(v=0, J=3)$. In the presence of the control field, the population of middle rotational states, $X^1\Sigma^+(v=0, J=2)$, can be reduced by a control MW field. Broadening of spectral splitting and shift of central frequency in this coherent spectrum are observed to be dependent on Rabi frequency of the control MW field. Applying Akaike's information criterion, we conclude that our observed coherent spectra happen through the crossover range of electromagnetically induced transparency and Aulter-Townes splitting as Rabi frequency of control field increases. Our work is a significant development in microwave-assisted quantum control of ultracold polar molecules with multilevel configuration, and also offers a great potential in quantum information based on ultracold molecules., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 54 references

We investigate the dynamical process of optically trapped X$^{1}$$\Sigma$$^{+}$ (v" = 0) state $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules distributing in J" = 1 and J" = 3 rotational states. The considered molecules, formed from short-range photoassociation of mixed cold atoms, are subsequently confined in a crossed optical dipole trap. Based on a phenomenological rate equation, we provide a detailed study of the dynamics of $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules during the loading and holding processes. The inelastic collisions of $^{85}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules in the X$^{1}$$\Sigma$$^{+}$ (v" = 0, J" = 1 and J" = 3) states with ultracold $^{85}$Rb (or $^{133}$Cs) atoms are measured to be 1.0 (2)$\times$10$^{-10}$ cm$^{3}$s$^{-1}$ (1.2 (3)$ \times$ 10$^{-10}$ cm$^{3}$s$^{-1}$). Our work provides a simple and generic procedure for studying the dynamical process of trapped cold molecules in the singlet ground states., Comment: 4 figures, 8 pages

We theoretically study electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in reflection spectra of V-type system at the gas-solid interface. In addition to a narrow dip arising from the EIT effect, we find the other particular saturation effect induced by pump field, which does not exist in $\Lambda$ or $\Xi$ -type system reflection spectra. The saturation effect only induces an intensity decrement in the reflection spectra, and there is no influence on the narrow dip arising from the EIT effect. We detailedly calculate and analyze the dependence of V-type system reflection spectra on probe field intensity, pump field intensity, coherent decay rate, and the initial population after the collision between atoms and the interface., Comment: 7 pages,7 figures

We present a simple, reliable, and no-destructive method for the measurement of vacuum pressure in a magneto-optical trap. The vacuum pressure is verified to be proportional to collision rate constant between cold atoms and background gas with a coefficient k, which can be calculated by simple ideal gas law. The rate constant for loss due to collisions with all background gases can be derived from the total collision loss rate by a series of loading curve of cold atoms under different trapping laser intensities. The presented method is also applicable for other cold atom systems and meets the miniaturization requirement of commercial applications., Comment: submitted to Appl. Phys. B. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1203.0189 by other authors

We systematically investigate the dependence of the temperature of cold cesium atoms of polarization gradient cooling (PGC) in optical molasses on experimental parameters, which contain changing modes of cooling laser, PGC interaction time, cooling laser frequency and its intensity. The SR mode of cooling laser, that means the cooling laser frequency is changed with step mode and cooling laser intensity is changed with ramp mode, is found to be the best for PGC comparing with other SS, RS, and RR modes. We introduce a statistical explanation and an exponential decay function to explain the variation of cold atomic temperature on time. The heating effect is observed when the cooling laser intensity is lower than the saturation intensity of cold atoms. After optimization, the lowest temperature of cold cesium atoms is observed to be about 4uK with the number of 2x10^9, a density of 1x10^11/cm^3 and the phase space density of 4.4x10^(-5). The optimization process and analysis of controllable experimental parameters are also meaningful for other cold atomic systems., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures