Blue-detuned optical ring trap for Bose-Einstein condensates based on conical refraction

Turpin, A. , Polo, J., Loiko, Y. V., Kuber, J., Schmaltz, F., Kalkandjiev, T.K., Ahufinger, V., Birkl, G. and Mompart, J. (2015) Blue-detuned optical ring trap for Bose-Einstein condensates based on conical refraction. Optics Express, 23(2), pp. 1638-1650. (doi: 10.1364/OE.23.001638) (PMID:25835921)

Abstract

We present a novel approach for the optical manipulation of neutral atoms in annular light structures produced by the phenomenon of conical refraction occurring in biaxial optical crystals. For a beam focused to a plane behind the crystal, the focal plane exhibits two concentric bright rings enclosing a ring of null intensity called the Poggendorff ring. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that the Poggendorff dark ring of conical refraction is confined in three dimensions by regions of higher intensity. We derive the positions of the confining intensity maxima and minima and discuss the application of the Poggendorff ring for trapping ultra-cold atoms using the repulsive dipole force of blue-detuned light. We give analytical expressions for the trapping frequencies and potential depths along both the radial and the axial directions. Finally, we present realistic numerical simulations of the dynamics of a 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate trapped inside the Poggendorff ring which are in good agreement with corresponding experimental results.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support through the Spanish MICINN contract, and FIS2011-23719, the Catalan Government contract SGR2009-00347, and the DAAD contracts 50024895 and 57059126. A. Turpin acknowledges financial support through grant AP2010-2310 from the MICINN and the DAAD grant 91526836. J. Polo also acknowledges financial support from FPI Grant No. BES-2012-053447.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Turpin, Dr Alejandro
• Authors: Turpin, A., Polo, J., Loiko, Y. V., Kuber, J., Schmaltz, F., Kalkandjiev, T.K., Ahufinger, V., Birkl, G., and Mompart, J.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science
• Journal Name: Optics Express
• Publisher: Optical Society of America
• ISSN: 1094-4087
• ISSN (Online): 1094-4087
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 OSA
• First Published: First published in Optics Express 23:1638-1650
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher