Quantum ground state of self-organized atomic crystals in optical resonators

Journal Article · Thu Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.043407· OSTI ID:21408644

Fernandez-Vidal, Sonia ^[1]; De Chiara, Gabriele ^[1]; Larson, Jonas ^[2]; Morigi, Giovanna ^[1]

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1. Grup d'Optica, Departament de Fisica, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Spain)
2. NORDITA, 106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

Cold atoms, driven by a laser and simultaneously coupled to the quantum field of an optical resonator, may self-organize in periodic structures. These structures are supported by the optical lattice, which emerges from the laser light they scatter into the cavity mode and form when the laser intensity exceeds a threshold value. We study theoretically the quantum ground state of these structures above the pump threshold of self-organization by mapping the atomic dynamics of the self-organized crystal to a Bose-Hubbard model. We find that the quantum ground state of the self-organized structure can be the one of a Mott insulator, depending on the pump strength of the driving laser. For very large pump strengths, where the intracavity-field intensity is maximum and one would expect a Mott-insulator state, we find intervals of parameters where the phase is compressible. These states could be realized in existing experimental setups.

• OSTI ID: 21408644
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 81, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.043407; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATOMS
CRYSTALS
GROUND STATES
HUBBARD MODEL
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
PERIODICITY
PUMPS
RESONATORS
CRYSTAL MODELS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY LEVELS
EQUIPMENT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RADIATIONS
VARIATIONS