The Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source.

PubMed

Greene, Geoffrey; Cianciolo, Vince; Koehler, Paul; Allen, Richard; Snow, William Michael; Huffman, Paul; Gould, Chris; Bowman, David; Cooper, Martin; Doyle, John

2005-01-01

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), currently under construction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an anticipated start-up in early 2006, will provide the most intense pulsed beams of cold neutrons in the world. At a projected power of 1.4 MW, the time averaged fluxes and fluences of the SNS will approach those of high flux reactors. One of the flight paths on the cold, coupled moderator will be devoted to fundamental neutron physics. The fundamental neutron physics beamline is anticipated to include two beam-lines; a broad band cold beam, and a monochromatic beam of 0.89 nm neutrons for ultracold neutron (UCN) experiments. The fundamental neutron physics beamline will be operated as a user facility with experiment selection based on a peer reviewed proposal process. An initial program of five experiments in neutron decay, hadronic weak interaction and time reversal symmetry violation have been proposed.

Neutron lifetime measurements with a large gravitational trap for ultracold neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrov, A. P.; Kolomensky, E. A.; Fomin, A. K.; Krasnoshchekova, I. A.; Vassiljev, A. V.; Prudnikov, D. M.; Shoka, I. V.; Chechkin, A. V.; Chaikovskiy, M. E.; Varlamov, V. E.; Ivanov, S. N.; Pirozhkov, A. N.; Geltenbort, P.; Zimmer, O.; Jenke, T.; Van der Grinten, M.; Tucker, M.

2018-05-01

Neutron lifetime is one of the most important physical constants: it determines parameters of the weak interaction and predictions of primordial nucleosynthesis theory. There remains the unsolved problem of a 3.9σ discrepancy between measurements of this lifetime using neutrons in beams and those with stored ultracold neutrons (UCN). In our experiment we measure the lifetime of neutrons trapped by Earth's gravity in an open-topped vessel. Two configurations of the trap geometry are used to change the mean frequency of UCN collisions with the surfaces; this is achieved by plunging an additional surface into the trap without breaking the vacuum. The trap walls are coated with a hydrogen-less fluorine-containing polymer to reduce losses of UCN. The stability of this coating over multiple thermal cycles between 80 and 300 K was tested. At 80 K, the probability of UCN loss due to collisions with the trap walls is just 1.5% of the probability of β decay. The free neutron lifetime is determined by extrapolation to an infinitely large trap with zero collision frequency. The result of these measurements is τn=881.5 ±0 .7stat ±0 .6syst s which is consistent with the conventional value of 880.2 ± 1.0 s presented by the Particle Data Group. Future prospects for this experiment are in further cooling to 10 K, which will lead to an improved accuracy of measurement. In conclusion we present an analysis of currently available data on various measurements of the neutron lifetime.

Measurement of the Neutron Beta Decay Lifetime using Magnetically Trapped Ultracold Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamek, Evan Robert

The neutron lifetime is an important parameter in the Standard Model of particle physics, with influences on the electroweak interaction and on Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Measurements of this quantity in cold beam experiments and in experiments using ultracold neutrons (UCN) disagree; this discrepancy may indicate that these measurements possess unaccounted-for systematic errors. The UCNtau experiment at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCe) utilizes an asymmetrical magneto-gravitational storage volume with an in-situ vanadium detector. This setup is designed to either avoid or control many of the weaknesses that reduce systematic precision in other UCN lifetime experiments. Controlling for the many measurable errors requires detailed calculation and simulation, aided, for example, by the Geant4 Monte Carlo particle transport toolkit, which has been used to create a high fidelity model of the UCNtau experiment for modeling UCN transport, storage, and detection. Through the course of running the experiment, improvements in knowledge of particle measurement have led to improvements to the transport and to the detectors used in various parts of the experiment. With the experimental setup optimized to account for the subtleties of the measurement, the 2014-2015 beam period at LANSCe generated 85 measurement runs from which we could calculate the storage lifetime. Careful analysis of the effects of background on the vanadium detector assembly allowed for elimination of undesired signal and allowed for the extraction of a preliminary value for the neutron lifetime and the determination of areas to improve for the following run cycle.

Measuring The Neutron Lifetime to One Second Using in Beam Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulholland, Jonathan; NIST In Beam Lifetime Collaboration

2013-10-01

The decay of the free neutron is the simplest nuclear beta decay and is the prototype for charged current semi-leptonic weak interactions. A precise value for the neutron lifetime is required for consistency tests of the Standard Model and is an essential parameter in the theory of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. A new measurement of the neutron lifetime using the in-beam method is planned at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research. The systematic effects associated with the in-beam method are markedly different than those found in storage experiments utilizing ultracold neutrons. Experimental improvements, specifically recent advances in the determination of absolute neutron fluence, should permit an overall uncertainty of 1 second on the neutron lifetime. The technical improvements in the in-beam technique, and the path toward improving the precision of the new measurement will be discussed.

Actinide Sputtering Induced by Fission with Ultra-cold Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venuti, Michael; Shi, Tan; Fellers, Deion; Morris, Christopher; Makela, Mark

2017-09-01

Understanding the effects of actinide sputtering due to nuclear fission is important for a wide range of applications, including nuclear fuel storage, space science, and national defense. A new program at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center uses ultracold neutrons (UCN) to induce fission in actinides such as uranium and plutonium. By controlling the energy of UCN, it is possible to induce fission at the sample surface within a well-defined depth. It is therefore an ideal tool for studying the effects of fission-induced sputtering as a function of interaction depth. Since the mechanism for fission-induced surface damage is not well understood, especially for samples with a surface oxide layer, this work has the potential to separate the various damage mechanisms proposed in previous works. During the irradiation with UCN, fission events are monitored by coincidence counting between prompt gamma rays using NaI detectors. Alpha spectroscopy of the ejected actinide material is performed in a custom-built ionization chamber to determine the amount of sputtered material. Actinide samples with various sample properties and surface conditions are irradiated and analyzed. In this presentation, we will discuss our experimental setup and present the preliminary results.

Strongly Interacting Multi-component Fermions: From Ultracold Atomic Fermi Gas to Asymmetric Nuclear Matter in Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, Hiroyuki; Hatsuda, Tetsuo; Ohashi, Yoji

2018-03-01

We investigate an asymmetric nuclear matter consisting of protons and neutrons with spin degrees of freedom (σ = ↑, ↓). By generalizing the Nozières and Schmitt-Rink theory for two-component Fermi gases to the four-component case, we analyze the critical temperature T c of the superfluid phase transition. Although the pure neutron matter exhibits the dineutron condensation in the low-density region, the superfluid instability toward the deuteron condensation is found to take place as the proton fraction increases. We clarify the mechanism of the competition between the deuteron condensation and dineutron condensation. Our results would serve for understanding the properties of asymmetric nuclear matter realized in the interior of neutron stars.

Evaluation of commercial nickel-phosphorus coating for ultracold neutron guides using a pinhole bottling method

DOE PAGES

Pattie. Jr., Robert Wayne; Adamek, Evan Robert; Brenner, Thomas; ...

2017-08-10

We report on the evaluation of commercial electroless nickel phosphorus (NiP) coatings for ultracold neutron (UCN) transport and storage. The material potential of 50μm thick NiP coatings on stainless steel and aluminum substrates was measured to be V F=213(5.2)neV using the time-of-flight spectrometer ASTERIX at the Lujan Center. The loss per bounce probability was measured in pinhole bottling experiments carried out at ultracold neutron sources at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and the Institut Laue-Langevin. For these tests a new guide coupling design was used to minimize gaps between the guide sections. The observed UCN loss in the bottle wasmore » interpreted in terms of an energy independent effective loss per bounce, which is the appropriate model when gaps in the system and upscattering are the dominate loss mechanisms, yielding a loss per bounce of 1.3(1)×10 –4. In conclusion, we also present a detailed discussion of the pinhole bottling methodology and an energy dependent analysis of the experimental results.« less

Evaluation of commercial nickel-phosphorus coating for ultracold neutron guides using a pinhole bottling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattie, R. W.; Adamek, E. R.; Brenner, T.; Brandt, A.; Broussard, L. J.; Callahan, N. B.; Clayton, S. M.; Cude-Woods, C.; Currie, S. A.; Geltenbort, P.; Ito, T. M.; Lauer, T.; Liu, C. Y.; Majewski, J.; Makela, M.; Masuda, Y.; Morris, C. L.; Ramsey, J. C.; Salvat, D. J.; Saunders, A.; Schroffenegger, J.; Tang, Z.; Wei, W.; Wang, Z.; Watkins, E.; Young, A. R.; Zeck, B. A.

2017-11-01

We report on the evaluation of commercial electroless nickel phosphorus (NiP) coatings for ultracold neutron (UCN) transport and storage. The material potential of 50 μm thick NiP coatings on stainless steel and aluminum substrates was measured to be VF = 213(5 . 2) neV using the time-of-flight spectrometer ASTERIX at the Lujan Center. The loss per bounce probability was measured in pinhole bottling experiments carried out at ultracold neutron sources at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and the Institut Laue-Langevin. For these tests a new guide coupling design was used to minimize gaps between the guide sections. The observed UCN loss in the bottle was interpreted in terms of an energy independent effective loss per bounce, which is the appropriate model when gaps in the system and upscattering are the dominate loss mechanisms, yielding a loss per bounce of 1 . 3(1) × 10-4. We also present a detailed discussion of the pinhole bottling methodology and an energy dependent analysis of the experimental results.

Evaluation of commercial nickel-phosphorus coating for ultracold neutron guides using a pinhole bottling method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pattie. Jr., Robert Wayne; Adamek, Evan Robert; Brenner, Thomas

We report on the evaluation of commercial electroless nickel phosphorus (NiP) coatings for ultracold neutron (UCN) transport and storage. The material potential of 50μm thick NiP coatings on stainless steel and aluminum substrates was measured to be V F=213(5.2)neV using the time-of-flight spectrometer ASTERIX at the Lujan Center. The loss per bounce probability was measured in pinhole bottling experiments carried out at ultracold neutron sources at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and the Institut Laue-Langevin. For these tests a new guide coupling design was used to minimize gaps between the guide sections. The observed UCN loss in the bottle wasmore » interpreted in terms of an energy independent effective loss per bounce, which is the appropriate model when gaps in the system and upscattering are the dominate loss mechanisms, yielding a loss per bounce of 1.3(1)×10 –4. In conclusion, we also present a detailed discussion of the pinhole bottling methodology and an energy dependent analysis of the experimental results.« less

Response Functions for the Two-Dimensional Ultracold Fermi Gas: Dynamical BCS Theory and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitali, Ettore; Shi, Hao; Qin, Mingpu; Zhang, Shiwei

2017-12-01

Response functions are central objects in physics. They provide crucial information about the behavior of physical systems, and they can be directly compared with scattering experiments involving particles such as neutrons or photons. Calculations of such functions starting from the many-body Hamiltonian of a physical system are challenging and extremely valuable. In this paper, we focus on the two-dimensional (2D) ultracold Fermi atomic gas which has been realized experimentally. We present an application of the dynamical BCS theory to obtain response functions for different regimes of interaction strengths in the 2D gas with zero-range attractive interaction. We also discuss auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) methods for the calculation of imaginary time correlations in these dilute Fermi gas systems. Illustrative results are given and comparisons are made between AFQMC and dynamical BCS theory results to assess the accuracy of the latter.

A high-field adiabatic fast passage ultracold neutron spin flipper for the UCNA experiment.

PubMed

Holley, A T; Broussard, L J; Davis, J L; Hickerson, K; Ito, T M; Liu, C-Y; Lyles, J T M; Makela, M; Mammei, R R; Mendenhall, M P; Morris, C L; Mortensen, R; Pattie, R W; Rios, R; Saunders, A; Young, A R

2012-07-01

The UCNA collaboration is making a precision measurement of the β asymmetry (A) in free neutron decay using polarized ultracold neutrons (UCN). A critical component of this experiment is an adiabatic fast passage neutron spin flipper capable of efficient operation in ambient magnetic fields on the order of 1 T. The requirement that it operate in a high field necessitated the construction of a free neutron spin flipper based, for the first time, on a birdcage resonator. The design, construction, and initial testing of this spin flipper prior to its use in the first measurement of A with UCN during the 2007 run cycle of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center's 800 MeV proton accelerator is detailed. These studies determined the flipping efficiency of the device, averaged over the UCN spectrum present at the location of the spin flipper, to be ̅ε=0.9985(4).

Continued Analysis of the NIST Neutron Lifetime Measurement Using Ultracold Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffer, Craig; Huffman, P. R.; Schelhammer, K. W.; Dewey, M. S.; Huber, M. G.; Hughes, P. P.; Mumm, H. P.; Thompson, A. K.; Coakley, K.; Yue, A. T.; O'Shaughnessy, C. M.; Yang, L.

2013-10-01

The neutron lifetime is an important parameter for constraining the Standard Model and providing input for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. The current disagreement in the most recent generation of lifetime experiments suggests unknown or underestimated systematics and motivates the need for alternative measurement methods as well as additional investigations into potential systematics. Our measurement was performed using magnetically trapped Ultracold Neutrons in a 3.1 T Ioffe type trap configuration. The decay rate of the neutron population is recorded in real time by monitoring visible light resulting from beta decay. Data collected in late 2010 and early 2011 is being analyzed and systematic effects are being investigated. An overview of our current work on the analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, and systematic effects will be provided. This work was supported by the NSF and NIST.

Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a magneto-gravitational trap and in situ detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pattie, Jr., R. W.; Callahan, N. B.; Cude-Woods, C.

Here, the precise value of the mean neutron lifetime, τn, plays an important role in nuclear and particle physics and cosmology. It is used to predict the ratio of protons to helium atoms in the primordial universe and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. We eliminated loss mechanisms present in previous trap experiments by levitating polarized ultracold neutrons above the surface of an asymmetric storage trap using a repulsive magnetic field gradient so that the stored neutrons do not interact with material trap walls. As a result of this approach and the use of anmore » in situ neutron detector, the lifetime reported here [877.7 ± 0.7 (stat) +0.4/–0.2 (sys) seconds] does not require corrections larger than the quoted uncertainties.« less

Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a magneto-gravitational trap and in situ detection

DOE PAGES

Pattie, Jr., R. W.; Callahan, N. B.; Cude-Woods, C.; ...

2018-05-11

Here, the precise value of the mean neutron lifetime, τn, plays an important role in nuclear and particle physics and cosmology. It is used to predict the ratio of protons to helium atoms in the primordial universe and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. We eliminated loss mechanisms present in previous trap experiments by levitating polarized ultracold neutrons above the surface of an asymmetric storage trap using a repulsive magnetic field gradient so that the stored neutrons do not interact with material trap walls. As a result of this approach and the use of anmore » in situ neutron detector, the lifetime reported here [877.7 ± 0.7 (stat) +0.4/–0.2 (sys) seconds] does not require corrections larger than the quoted uncertainties.« less

Superfluid Density of Neutrons in the Inner Crust of Neutron Stars: New Life for Pulsar Glitch Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Gentaro; Pethick, C. J.

2017-08-01

Calculations of the effects of band structure on the neutron superfluid density in the crust of neutron stars made under the assumption that the effects of pairing are small [N. Chamel, Phys. Rev. C 85, 035801 (2012)] lead to moments of inertia of superfluid neutrons so small that the crust alone is insufficient to account for the magnitude of neutron star glitches. Inspired by earlier work on ultracold atomic gases in an optical lattice, we investigate fermions with attractive interactions in a periodic lattice in the mean-field approximation. The effects of band structure are suppressed when the pairing gap is of order or greater than the strength of the lattice potential. By applying the results to the inner crust of neutron stars, we conclude that the reduction of the neutron superfluid density is considerably less than previously estimated and, consequently, it is premature to rule out models of glitches based on neutron superfluidity in the crust.

Superfluid Density of Neutrons in the Inner Crust of Neutron Stars: New Life for Pulsar Glitch Models.

PubMed

Watanabe, Gentaro; Pethick, C J

2017-08-11

Calculations of the effects of band structure on the neutron superfluid density in the crust of neutron stars made under the assumption that the effects of pairing are small [N. Chamel, Phys. Rev. C 85, 035801 (2012)PRVCAN0556-2813] lead to moments of inertia of superfluid neutrons so small that the crust alone is insufficient to account for the magnitude of neutron star glitches. Inspired by earlier work on ultracold atomic gases in an optical lattice, we investigate fermions with attractive interactions in a periodic lattice in the mean-field approximation. The effects of band structure are suppressed when the pairing gap is of order or greater than the strength of the lattice potential. By applying the results to the inner crust of neutron stars, we conclude that the reduction of the neutron superfluid density is considerably less than previously estimated and, consequently, it is premature to rule out models of glitches based on neutron superfluidity in the crust.

Measurement of spin-flip probabilities for ultracold neutrons interacting with nickel phosphorus coated surfaces

DOE PAGES

Tang, Zhaowen; Adamek, Evan Robert; Brandt, Aaron; ...

2016-04-26

In this paper, we report a measurement of the spin-flip probabilities for ultracold neutrons interacting with surfaces coated with nickel phosphorus. For 50 μm thick nickel phosphorus coated on stainless steel, the spin-flip probability per bounce was found to be β NiP on SS = (3.3 +1.8, -5.6) X 10 -6. For 50 μm thick nickel phosphorus coated on aluminum, the spin-flip probability per bounce was found to be β NiP on Al = (3.6 +2.1, -5.9) X 10 -6. For the copper guide used as reference, the spin flip probability per bounce was found to be β Cu =more » (6.7 + 5.0, -2.5) X 10 -6. The results on the nickel phosphorus-coated surfaces may be interpreted as upper limits, yielding β NiP on SS < 6.2 X 10 -6 (90% C.L.) and β NiP on Al < 7.0 X 10 -6 (90% C.L.) for 50 μm thick nickel phosphorus coated on stainless steel and 50 μm thick nickel phosphorus coated on aluminum, respectively. Finally, nickel phosphorus coated stainless steel or aluminum provides a solution when low-cost, mechanically robust, and non-depolarizing UCN guides with a high Fermi potential are needed.« less

Surface physics with cold and thermal neutron reflectometry. Progress report, April 1, 1991--September 30, 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steyerl, A.

1993-09-01

Within the past two and one half years of the project ``Surface Physics With Cold and Thermal Neutron Reflectometry`` a new thermal neutron reflectometer was constructed at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center (RINSC). It was used to study various liquid and solid surfaces. Furthermore, neutron reflection experiments were be un at different laboratories in collaboration with Dr. G.P. Fetcher (at Argonne National Laboratory), Dr. T. Russell (IBM Almaden) and Drs. S.K. Satija and A. Karim (at the National Institute for Standards and Technology). The available resources allowed partial construction of an imaging system for ultracold neutrons. It is expectedmore » to provide an extremely high resolution in momentum and energy transfer in surface studies using neutron reflectometry. Much of the work reported here was motivated by the possibility of later implementation at the planned Advanced Neutron Source at Oak Ridge. In a separate project the first concrete plans for an intense source of ultracold neutrons for the Advanced Neutron Source were developed.« less

Rotational Effects of Nanoparticles for Cooling down Ultracold Neutrons

PubMed Central

Tu, Xiaoqing; Sun, Guangai; Gong, Jian; Liu, Lijuan; Ren, Yong; Gao, Penglin; Wang, Wenzhao; Yan, H.

2017-01-01

Due to quantum coherence, nanoparticles have very large cross sections when scattering with very cold or Ultracold Neutrons (UCN). By calculating the scattering cross section quantum mechanically at first, then treating the nanoparticles as classical objects when including the rotational effects, we can derive the associated energy transfer. We find that rotational effects could play an important role in slowing down UCN. In consequence, the slowing down efficiency can be improved by as much as ~40%. Since thermalization of neutrons with the moderator requires typically hundreds of collisions between them, a ~40% increase of the efficiency per collision could have a significant effect. Other possible applications, such as neutrons scattering with nano shells and magnetic particles,and reducing the systematics induced by the geometric phase effect using nanoparticles in the neutron Electric Dipole Moment (nEDM), are also discussed in this paper. PMID:28294116

Actinide Sputtering Induced by Fission with Ultra-cold Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Tan; Venuti, Michael; Fellers, Deion; Martin, Sean; Morris, Chris; Makela, Mark

2017-09-01

Understanding the effects of actinide sputtering due to nuclear fission is important for a wide range of applications, including nuclear fuel storage, space science, and national defense. A new program at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center uses ultracold neutrons (UCN) to induce fission in actinides such as uranium and plutonium. By controlling the UCN energy, it is possible to induce fission at the sample surface within a well-defined depth. It is therefore an ideal tool for studying the effects of fission-induced sputtering as a function of interaction depth. Since the mechanism for fission-induced surface damage is not well understood, this work has the potential to deconvolve the various damage mechanisms. During the irradiation with UCN, NaI detectors are used to monitor the fission events and were calibrated by monitoring fission fragments with an organic scintillator. Alpha spectroscopy of the ejected actinide material is performed in an ion chamber to determine the amount of sputtered material. Actinide samples with various sample properties and surface conditions are irradiated and analyzed. In this talk, I will discuss our experimental setup and present the preliminary results from the testing of multiple samples. This work has been supported by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Seaborg Summer Research Fellowship.

Neutrons on a surface of liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoriev, P. D.; Zimmer, O.; Grigoriev, A. D.; Ziman, T.

2016-08-01

We investigate the possibility of ultracold neutron (UCN) storage in quantum states defined by the combined potentials of the Earth's gravity and the neutron optical repulsion by a horizontal surface of liquid helium. We analyze the stability of the lowest quantum state, which is most susceptible to perturbations due to surface excitations, against scattering by helium atoms in the vapor and by excitations of the liquid, comprised of ripplons, phonons, and surfons. This is an unusual scattering problem since the kinetic energy of the neutron parallel to the surface may be much greater than the binding energies perpendicular. The total scattering time of these UCNs at 0.7 K is found to exceed 1 h, and rapidly increases with decreasing temperature. Such low scattering rates should enable high-precision measurements of the sequence of discrete energy levels, thus providing improved tests of short-range gravity. The system might also be useful for neutron β -decay experiments. We also sketch new experimental propositions for level population and trapping of ultracold neutrons above a flat horizontal mirror.

Developing an in-situ Detector of Neutron-Induced Fission for Actinide Sputtering Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fellers, Deion

2016-09-01

The physical mechanism describing the transfer of large amounts of energy due to fission in a material is not well understood and represents one of the modern challenges facing nuclear scientists, with applications including nuclear energy and national defense. Fission fragments cause damage to the material from sputtering of matter as they pass through or near the material's surface. We have developed a new technique at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center for characterizing the ejecta by using ultracold neutrons (neutrons with kinetic energy less than 300 neV) to induce fission at finely controlled depths in an actinide. This program will ultimately provide a detailed description of the properties of the sputtered particles as a function of the depth of the fission in the material. A key component of this project is accurately quantifying the number of neutron induced fissions in the sample. This poster depicts the development of an in-situ detector of neutron-induced fission for the AShES (Actinide Sputtering from ultracold neutron Exposure at the Surface) experiment.

Total cross sections for ultracold neutrons scattered from gases

DOE PAGES

Seestrom, Susan Joyce; Adamek, Evan R.; Barlow, Dave; ...

2017-01-30

Here, we have followed up on our previous measurements of upscattering of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) from a series of gases by making measurements of total cross sections on the following gases hydrogen, ethane, methane, isobutene, n-butane, ethylene, water vapor, propane, neopentane, isopropyl alcohol, and 3He. The values of these cross sections are important for estimating the loss rate of trapped neutrons due to residual gas and are relevant to neutron lifetime measurements using UCNs. The effects of the UCN velocity and path-length distributions were accounted for in the analysis using a Monte Carlo transport code. Results are compared to ourmore » previous measurements and with the known absorption cross section for 3He scaled to our UCN energy. We find that the total cross sections for the hydrocarbon gases are reasonably described by a function linear in the number of hydrogen atoms in the molecule.« less

Observation of Gravitationally Induced Vertical Striation of Polarized Ultracold Neutrons by Spin-Echo Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afach, S.; Ayres, N. J.; Ban, G.; Bison, G.; Bodek, K.; Chowdhuri, Z.; Daum, M.; Fertl, M.; Franke, B.; Griffith, W. C.; Grujić, Z. D.; Harris, P. G.; Heil, W.; Hélaine, V.; Kasprzak, M.; Kermaidic, Y.; Kirch, K.; Knowles, P.; Koch, H.-C.; Komposch, S.; Kozela, A.; Krempel, J.; Lauss, B.; Lefort, T.; Lemière, Y.; Mtchedlishvili, A.; Musgrave, M.; Naviliat-Cuncic, O.; Pendlebury, J. M.; Piegsa, F. M.; Pignol, G.; Plonka-Spehr, C.; Prashanth, P. N.; Quéméner, G.; Rawlik, M.; Rebreyend, D.; Ries, D.; Roccia, S.; Rozpedzik, D.; Schmidt-Wellenburg, P.; Severijns, N.; Thorne, J. A.; Weis, A.; Wursten, E.; Wyszynski, G.; Zejma, J.; Zenner, J.; Zsigmond, G.

2015-10-01

We describe a spin-echo method for ultracold neutrons (UCNs) confined in a precession chamber and exposed to a |B0|=1 μ T magnetic field. We have demonstrated that the analysis of UCN spin-echo resonance signals in combination with knowledge of the ambient magnetic field provides an excellent method by which to reconstruct the energy spectrum of a confined ensemble of neutrons. The method takes advantage of the relative dephasing of spins arising from a gravitationally induced striation of stored UCNs of different energies, and also permits an improved determination of the vertical magnetic-field gradient with an exceptional accuracy of 1.1 pT /cm . This novel combination of a well-known nuclear resonance method and gravitationally induced vertical striation is unique in the realm of nuclear and particle physics and should prove to be invaluable for the assessment of systematic effects in precision experiments such as searches for an electric dipole moment of the neutron or the measurement of the neutron lifetime.

Performance of the upgraded ultracold neutron source at Los Alamos National Laboratory and its implication for a possible neutron electric dipole moment experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, T. M.; Adamek, E. R.; Callahan, N. B.; Choi, J. H.; Clayton, S. M.; Cude-Woods, C.; Currie, S.; Ding, X.; Fellers, D. E.; Geltenbort, P.; Lamoreaux, S. K.; Liu, C.-Y.; MacDonald, S.; Makela, M.; Morris, C. L.; Pattie, R. W.; Ramsey, J. C.; Salvat, D. J.; Saunders, A.; Sharapov, E. I.; Sjue, S.; Sprow, A. P.; Tang, Z.; Weaver, H. L.; Wei, W.; Young, A. R.

2018-01-01

The ultracold neutron (UCN) source at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which uses solid deuterium as the UCN converter and is driven by accelerator spallation neutrons, has been successfully operated for over 10 years, providing UCN to various experiments, as the first production UCN source based on the superthermal process. It has recently undergone a major upgrade. This paper describes the design and performance of the upgraded LANL UCN source. Measurements of the cold neutron spectrum and UCN density are presented and compared to Monte Carlo predictions. The source is shown to perform as modeled. The UCN density measured at the exit of the biological shield was 184 (32 ) UCN /cm3 , a fourfold increase from the highest previously reported. The polarized UCN density stored in an external chamber was measured to be 39 (7 ) UCN /cm3 , which is sufficient to perform an experiment to search for the nonzero neutron electric dipole moment with a one-standard-deviation sensitivity of σ (dn) =3 ×10-27e cm .

Losses and depolarization of ultracold neutrons on neutron guide and storage materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondar, V.; Chesnevskaya, S.; Daum, M.; Franke, B.; Geltenbort, P.; Göltl, L.; Gutsmiedl, E.; Karch, J.; Kasprzak, M.; Kessler, G.; Kirch, K.; Koch, H.-C.; Kraft, A.; Lauer, T.; Lauss, B.; Pierre, E.; Pignol, G.; Reggiani, D.; Schmidt-Wellenburg, P.; Sobolev, Yu.; Zechlau, T.; Zsigmond, G.

2017-09-01

At Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), we have measured the losses and depolarization probabilities of ultracold neutrons on various materials: (i) nickel-molybdenum alloys with weight percentages of 82/18, 85/15, 88/12, 91/9, and 94/6 and natural nickel Ni100, (ii) nickel-vanadium NiV93/7, (iii) copper, and (iv) deuterated polystyrene (dPS). For the different samples, storage-time constants up to ˜460 s were obtained at room temperature. The corresponding loss parameters for ultracold neutrons, η , varied between 1.0 ×10-4 and 2.2 ×10-4 . All η values are in agreement with theory except for dPS, where anomalous losses at room temperature were established with four standard deviations. The depolarization probabilities per wall collision β measured with unprecedented sensitivity varied between 0.7 ×10-6 and 9.0 ×10-6 . Our depolarization result for copper differs from other experiments by 4.4 and 15.8 standard deviations. The β values of the paramagnetic NiMo alloys over molybdenum content show an increase of β with increasing Mo content. This is in disagreement with expectations from literature. Finally, ferromagnetic behavior of NiMo alloys at room temperature was found for molybdenum contents of 6.5 at.% or less and paramagnetic behavior for more than 8.7 at.%. This may contribute to solving an ambiguity in literature.

Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a magneto-gravitational trap and in situ detection.

PubMed

Pattie, R W; Callahan, N B; Cude-Woods, C; Adamek, E R; Broussard, L J; Clayton, S M; Currie, S A; Dees, E B; Ding, X; Engel, E M; Fellers, D E; Fox, W; Geltenbort, P; Hickerson, K P; Hoffbauer, M A; Holley, A T; Komives, A; Liu, C-Y; MacDonald, S W T; Makela, M; Morris, C L; Ortiz, J D; Ramsey, J; Salvat, D J; Saunders, A; Seestrom, S J; Sharapov, E I; Sjue, S K; Tang, Z; Vanderwerp, J; Vogelaar, B; Walstrom, P L; Wang, Z; Wei, W; Weaver, H L; Wexler, J W; Womack, T L; Young, A R; Zeck, B A

2018-05-11

The precise value of the mean neutron lifetime, τ n , plays an important role in nuclear and particle physics and cosmology. It is used to predict the ratio of protons to helium atoms in the primordial universe and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. We eliminated loss mechanisms present in previous trap experiments by levitating polarized ultracold neutrons above the surface of an asymmetric storage trap using a repulsive magnetic field gradient so that the stored neutrons do not interact with material trap walls. As a result of this approach and the use of an in situ neutron detector, the lifetime reported here [877.7 ± 0.7 (stat) +0.4/-0.2 (sys) seconds] does not require corrections larger than the quoted uncertainties. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

New Result for the β-decay Asymmetry Parameter A0 from the UCNA Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, M. A.-P.; UCNA Collaboration

2017-09-01

The UCNA Experiment at the Ultracold Neutron facility at LANL uses polarized ultracold neutrons (UCN) to determine the neutron β-decay asymmetry parameter A0, the angular correlation between the neutron spin and the decay electron's momentum. A0 further determines λ =gA /gV , which, when combined with the neutron lifetime, permits extraction of the CKM matrix element Vud solely from neutron decay. In the UCNA experiment, UCN are produced in a pulsed, spallation driven solid deuterium source, polarized using a 7 T magnetic field, and transported through an Adiabatic Fast Passage (AFP) spin flipper prior to storage within a 1 T solenoidal spectrometer housing electron detectors at each end. The spin-flipper allows one to form a super-ratio of decay rates for neutron spins aligned parallel and anti-parallel to the 1 T magnetic field, eliminating to first order errors due to variations in the decay rate and detector efficiencies. Leading systematics and analysis techniques from the most recent analysis of data collected from 2011-2013 will be presented. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Award Number DE-SC-0014622.

Precursor of superfluidity in a strongly interacting Fermi gas with negative effective range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, Hiroyuki

2018-04-01

We investigate theoretically the effects of pairing fluctuations in an ultracold Fermi gas near a Feshbach resonance with a negative effective range. By employing a many-body T -matrix theory with a coupled fermion-boson model, we show that the single-particle density of states exhibits the so-called pseudogap phenomenon, which is a precursor of superfluidity induced by strong pairing fluctuations. We clarify the region where strong pairing fluctuations play a crucial role in single-particle properties, from the broad-resonance region to the narrow-resonance limit at the divergent two-body scattering length. We also extrapolate the effects of pairing fluctuations to the positive-effective-range region from our results near the narrow Feshbach resonance. Results shown in this paper are relevant to the connection between ultracold Fermi gases and low-density neutron matter from the viewpoint of finite-effective-range corrections.

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons with an imaging camera and its implications to spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Wei, Wanchun; Broussard, Leah J.; Hoffbauer, Mark Arles; ...

2016-05-16

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) is demonstrated using an imaging charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A spatial resolution less than 15μm has been achieved, which is equivalent to a UCN energy resolution below 2 pico-electron-volts through the relation δE=m 0gδx. Here, the symbols δE, δx, m 0 and g are the energy resolution, the spatial resolution, the neutron rest mass and the gravitational acceleration, respectively. A multilayer surface convertor described previously is used to capture UCNs and then emits visible light for CCD imaging. Particle identification and noise rejection are discussed through the use of light intensity profile analysis. Asmore » a result, this method allows different types of UCN spectroscopy and other applications.« less

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons with an imaging camera and its implications to spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wei, Wanchun; Broussard, Leah J.; Hoffbauer, Mark Arles

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) is demonstrated using an imaging charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A spatial resolution less than 15μm has been achieved, which is equivalent to a UCN energy resolution below 2 pico-electron-volts through the relation δE=m 0gδx. Here, the symbols δE, δx, m 0 and g are the energy resolution, the spatial resolution, the neutron rest mass and the gravitational acceleration, respectively. A multilayer surface convertor described previously is used to capture UCNs and then emits visible light for CCD imaging. Particle identification and noise rejection are discussed through the use of light intensity profile analysis. Asmore » a result, this method allows different types of UCN spectroscopy and other applications.« less

The MCUCN simulation code for ultracold neutron physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zsigmond, G.

2018-02-01

Ultracold neutrons (UCN) have very low kinetic energies 0-300 neV, thereby can be stored in specific material or magnetic confinements for many hundreds of seconds. This makes them a very useful tool in probing fundamental symmetries of nature (for instance charge-parity violation by neutron electric dipole moment experiments) and contributing important parameters for the Big Bang nucleosynthesis (neutron lifetime measurements). Improved precision experiments are in construction at new and planned UCN sources around the world. MC simulations play an important role in the optimization of such systems with a large number of parameters, but also in the estimation of systematic effects, in benchmarking of analysis codes, or as part of the analysis. The MCUCN code written at PSI has been extensively used for the optimization of the UCN source optics and in the optimization and analysis of (test) experiments within the nEDM project based at PSI. In this paper we present the main features of MCUCN and interesting benchmark and application examples.

Observation of Gravitationally Induced Vertical Striation of Polarized Ultracold Neutrons by Spin-Echo Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Afach, S; Ayres, N J; Ban, G; Bison, G; Bodek, K; Chowdhuri, Z; Daum, M; Fertl, M; Franke, B; Griffith, W C; Grujić, Z D; Harris, P G; Heil, W; Hélaine, V; Kasprzak, M; Kermaidic, Y; Kirch, K; Knowles, P; Koch, H-C; Komposch, S; Kozela, A; Krempel, J; Lauss, B; Lefort, T; Lemière, Y; Mtchedlishvili, A; Musgrave, M; Naviliat-Cuncic, O; Pendlebury, J M; Piegsa, F M; Pignol, G; Plonka-Spehr, C; Prashanth, P N; Quéméner, G; Rawlik, M; Rebreyend, D; Ries, D; Roccia, S; Rozpedzik, D; Schmidt-Wellenburg, P; Severijns, N; Thorne, J A; Weis, A; Wursten, E; Wyszynski, G; Zejma, J; Zenner, J; Zsigmond, G

2015-10-16

We describe a spin-echo method for ultracold neutrons (UCNs) confined in a precession chamber and exposed to a |B0|=1  μT magnetic field. We have demonstrated that the analysis of UCN spin-echo resonance signals in combination with knowledge of the ambient magnetic field provides an excellent method by which to reconstruct the energy spectrum of a confined ensemble of neutrons. The method takes advantage of the relative dephasing of spins arising from a gravitationally induced striation of stored UCNs of different energies, and also permits an improved determination of the vertical magnetic-field gradient with an exceptional accuracy of 1.1  pT/cm. This novel combination of a well-known nuclear resonance method and gravitationally induced vertical striation is unique in the realm of nuclear and particle physics and should prove to be invaluable for the assessment of systematic effects in precision experiments such as searches for an electric dipole moment of the neutron or the measurement of the neutron lifetime.

Performance of the upgraded ultracold neutron source at Los Alamos National Laboratory and its implication for a possible neutron electric dipole moment experiment

DOE PAGES

Ito, Takeyasu M.; Adamek, E. R.; Callahan, N. B.; ...

2018-01-29

We report the ultracold neutron (UCN) source at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which uses solid deuterium as the UCN converter and is driven by accelerator spallation neutrons, has been successfully operated for over 10 years, providing UCN to various experiments, as the first production UCN source based on the superthermal process. It has recently undergone a major upgrade. This paper describes the design and performance of the upgraded LANL UCN source. Measurements of the cold neutron spectrum and UCN density are presented and compared to Monte Carlo predictions. The source is shown to perform as modeled. The UCN densitymore » measured at the exit of the biological shield was 184(32) UCN / cm 3, a fourfold increase from the highest previously reported. Finally, the polarized UCN density stored in an external chamber was measured to be 39(7) UCN / cm 3, which is sufficient to perform an experiment to search for the nonzero neutron electric dipole moment with a one-standard-deviation sensitivity of σ(d n) = 3 × 10 -27 e cm.« less

Search for dark matter decay of the free neutron from the UCNA experiment: n →χ +e+e-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, X.; Adamek, E.; Allgeier, B.; Blatnik, M.; Bowles, T. J.; Broussard, L. J.; Brown, M. A.-P.; Carr, R.; Clayton, S.; Cude-Woods, C.; Currie, S.; Dees, E. B.; Ding, X.; Filippone, B. W.; García, A.; Geltenbort, P.; Hasan, S.; Hickerson, K. P.; Hoagland, J.; Hong, R.; Hogan, G. E.; Holley, A. T.; Ito, T. M.; Knecht, A.; Liu, C.-Y.; Liu, J.; Makela, M.; Mammei, R.; Martin, J. W.; Melconian, D.; Mendenhall, M. P.; Moore, S. D.; Morris, C. L.; Nepal, S.; Nouri, N.; Pattie, R. W.; Pérez Galván, A.; Phillips, D. G.; Picker, R.; Pitt, M. L.; Plaster, B.; Ramsey, J. C.; Rios, R.; Salvat, D. J.; Saunders, A.; Sondheim, W.; Sjue, S.; Slutsky, S.; Swank, C.; Swift, G.; Tatar, E.; Vogelaar, R. B.; VornDick, B.; Wang, Z.; Wei, W.; Wexler, J.; Womack, T.; Wrede, C.; Young, A. R.; Zeck, B. A.; UCNA Collaboration

2018-05-01

It has been proposed recently that a previously unobserved neutron decay branch to a dark matter particle (χ ) could account for the discrepancy in the neutron lifetime observed in experiments that use two different measurement techniques. One of the possible final states discussed includes a single χ along with an e+e- pair. We use data from the UCNA (Ultracold Neutron Asymmetry) experiment to set limits on this decay channel. Coincident electron-like events are detected with ˜4 π acceptance using a pair of detectors that observe a volume of stored ultracold neutrons. The summed kinetic energy (Ee+e-) from such events is used to set limits, as a function of the χ mass, on the branching fraction for this decay channel. For χ masses consistent with resolving the neutron lifetime discrepancy, we exclude this as the dominant dark matter decay channel at ≫5 σ level for 100 90 % confidence level.

Performance of the upgraded ultracold neutron source at Los Alamos National Laboratory and its implication for a possible neutron electric dipole moment experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ito, Takeyasu M.; Adamek, E. R.; Callahan, N. B.

We report the ultracold neutron (UCN) source at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which uses solid deuterium as the UCN converter and is driven by accelerator spallation neutrons, has been successfully operated for over 10 years, providing UCN to various experiments, as the first production UCN source based on the superthermal process. It has recently undergone a major upgrade. This paper describes the design and performance of the upgraded LANL UCN source. Measurements of the cold neutron spectrum and UCN density are presented and compared to Monte Carlo predictions. The source is shown to perform as modeled. The UCN densitymore » measured at the exit of the biological shield was 184(32) UCN / cm 3, a fourfold increase from the highest previously reported. Finally, the polarized UCN density stored in an external chamber was measured to be 39(7) UCN / cm 3, which is sufficient to perform an experiment to search for the nonzero neutron electric dipole moment with a one-standard-deviation sensitivity of σ(d n) = 3 × 10 -27 e cm.« less

LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Laser acceleration of neutrons (physical foundations)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivlin, Lev A.

2010-08-01

The concept of neutron acceleration in a gradient magnetic field of a 'drifting' standing electromagnetic wave is presented. The promising fields of application of an accelerated directional beam of ultracold neurons, in particular, remote initiation of nuclear reactions, are suggested.

A new method for measuring the neutron lifetime using an in situ neutron detector

DOE PAGES

Morris, Christopher L.; Adamek, Evan Robert; Broussard, Leah Jacklyn; ...

2017-05-30

Here, we describe a new method for measuring surviving neutrons in neutron lifetime measurements using bottled ultracold neutrons (UCN), which provides better characterization of systematic uncertainties and enables higher precision than previous measurement techniques. We also used an active detector that can be lowered into the trap to measure the neutron distribution as a function of height and measure the influence of marginally trapped UCN on the neutron lifetime measurement. Additionally, measurements have demonstrated phase-space evolution and its effect on the lifetime measurement.

A new method for measuring the neutron lifetime using an in situ neutron detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morris, Christopher L.; Adamek, Evan Robert; Broussard, Leah Jacklyn

Here, we describe a new method for measuring surviving neutrons in neutron lifetime measurements using bottled ultracold neutrons (UCN), which provides better characterization of systematic uncertainties and enables higher precision than previous measurement techniques. We also used an active detector that can be lowered into the trap to measure the neutron distribution as a function of height and measure the influence of marginally trapped UCN on the neutron lifetime measurement. Additionally, measurements have demonstrated phase-space evolution and its effect on the lifetime measurement.

Neutron Transport Simulations for NIST Neutron Lifetime Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fangchen; BL2 Collaboration Collaboration

2016-09-01

Neutrons in stable nuclei can exist forever; a free neutron lasts for about 15 minutes on average before it beta decays to a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino. Precision measurements of the neutron lifetime test the validity of weak interaction theory and provide input into the theory of the evolution of light elements in the early universe. There are two predominant ways of measuring the neutron lifetime: the bottle method and the beam method. The bottle method measures decays of ultracold neutrons that are stored in a bottle. The beam method measures decay protons in a beam of cold neutrons of known flux. An improved beam experiment is being prepared at the National Institute of Science and Technology (Gaithersburg, MD) with the goal of reducing statistical and systematic uncertainties to the level of 1 s. The purpose of my studies was to develop computer simulations of neutron transport to determine the beam collimation and study the neutron distribution's effect on systematic effects for the experiment, such as the solid angle of the neutron flux monitor. The motivation for the experiment and the results of this work will be presented. This work was supported, in part, by a Grant to Gettysburg College from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education Program.

Quantum states of neutrons in the gravitational and centrifugal potentials in a new GRANIT spectrometer

ScienceCinema

Nesvizhevsky, Valery

2018-05-14

We will discuss the scientific program to be studied in a new gravitational spectrometer GRANIT in a broad context of quantum states (quantum behaviour) of ultracold neutrons (UCN) in gravitational [1] and centrifugal [2] potentials, as well as applications of these phenomena/spectrometer to various domains of physics, ranging from studies of fundamental short-range interactions and symmetries to neutron quantum optics and reflectometry using UCN. All these topics, as well as related instrumental and methodical developments have been discussed during dedicated GRANIT-2010 Workshop [3]. The GRANIT spectrometer has been recently installed at the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France [4] and could become operational in near future. 1. V.V. Nesvizhevsky et al (2002), Nature 415, 297. 2. V.V. Nesvizhevsky et al (2010), Nature Physics 6, 114. 3. GRANIT-2010, Les Houches, 14-19 february 2010. 4. M. Kreuz et al (2009), NIM 611, 326.

A Monte Carlo Simulation for Understanding Energy Measurements of Beta Particles Detected by the UCNb Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Chi; UCNb Collaboration

2011-10-01

It is theorized that contributions to the Fierz interference term from scalar interaction beyond the Standard Model could be detectable in the spectrum of neutron beta-decay. The UCNb experiment run at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center aims to accurately measure the neutron beta-decay energy spectrum to detect a nonzero interference term. The instrument consists of a cubic ``integrating sphere'' calorimeter attached with up to 4 photomultiplier tubes. The inside of the calorimeter is coated with white paint and a thin UV scintillating layer made of deuterated polystyrene to contain the ultracold neutrons. A Monte Carlo simulation using the Geant4 toolkit is developed in order to provide an accurate method of energy reconstruction. Offline calibration with the Kellogg Radiation Laboratory 140 keV electron gun and conversion electron sources will be used to validate the Monte Carlo simulation to give confidence in the energy reconstruction methods and to better understand systematics in the experiment data.

Ramsey's method of separated oscillating fields and its application to gravitationally induced quantum phase shifts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abele, H.; Jenke, T.; Leeb, H.

2010-03-15

We propose to apply Ramsey's method of separated oscillating fields to the spectroscopy of the quantum states in the gravity potential above a horizontal mirror. This method allows a precise measurement of quantum mechanical phaseshifts of a Schroedinger wave packet bouncing off a hard surface in the gravitational field of the Earth. Measurements with ultracold neutrons will offer a sensitivity to Newton's law or hypothetical short-ranged interactions, which is about 21 orders of magnitude below the energy scale of electromagnetism.

Optimization of a Light Collection System for use in the Neutron Lifetime Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, C.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Mumm, P.; Thompson, A.; Huffman, P.

2007-10-01

The Ultracold Neutron (UCN) Lifetime Project is an ongoing experiment with the objective of improving the average measurement of the neutron beta-decay lifetime. A more accurate measurement may increase our understanding of the electroweak interaction and improve astrophysical/cosmological theories on Big Bang nucleosynthesis. The current apparatus uses 0.89 nm cold neutrons to produce UCN through inelastic collisions with superfluid 4He in the superthermal process. The lifetime of the UCN is measured by detection of scintillation light from superfluid 4He created by electrons produced in neutron decay. Competing criteria of high detection efficiency outside of the apparatus and minimum heating of the experimental cell has led to the design of an acrylic light collection system. Initial designs were based on previous generations of the apparatus. ANSYS was used to optimize the cooling system for the light guide by checking simulated end conditions based on width of contact area, number of contact points, and location on the guide itself. SolidWorks and AutoCAD were used for design. The current system is in the production process.

Is a Trineutron Resonance Lower in Energy than a Tetraneutron Resonance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gandolfi, S.; Hammer, H.-W.; Klos, P.; Lynn, J. E.; Schwenk, A.

2017-06-01

We present quantum Monte Carlo calculations of few-neutron systems confined in external potentials based on local chiral interactions at next-to-next-to-leading order in chiral effective field theory. The energy and radial densities for these systems are calculated in different external Woods-Saxon potentials. We assume that their extrapolation to zero external-potential depth provides a quantitative estimate of three- and four-neutron resonances. The validity of this assumption is demonstrated by benchmarking with an exact diagonalization in the two-body case. We find that the extrapolated trineutron resonance, as well as the energy for shallow well depths, is lower than the tetraneutron resonance energy. This suggests that a three-neutron resonance exists below a four-neutron resonance in nature and is potentially measurable. To confirm that the relative ordering of three- and four-neutron resonances is not an artifact of the external confinement, we test that the odd-even staggering in the helium isotopic chain is reproduced within this approach. Finally, we discuss similarities between our results and ultracold Fermi gases.

Is a Trineutron Resonance Lower in Energy than a Tetraneutron Resonance?

DOE PAGES

Gandolfi, Stefano; Hammer, Hans -Werner; Klos, P.; ...

2017-06-08

Here, we present quantum Monte Carlo calculations of few-neutron systems confined in external potentials based on local chiral interactions at next-to-next-to-leading order in chiral effective field theory. The energy and radial densities for these systems are calculated in different external Woods-Saxon potentials. We assume that their extrapolation to zero external-potential depth provides a quantitative estimate of three- and four-neutron resonances. The validity of this assumption is demonstrated by benchmarking with an exact diagonalization in the two-body case. We find that the extrapolated trineutron resonance, as well as the energy for shallow well depths, is lower than the tetraneutron resonance energy.more » This suggests that a three-neutron resonance exists below a four-neutron resonance in nature and is potentially measurable. To confirm that the relative ordering of three- and four-neutron resonances is not an artifact of the external confinement, we test that the odd-even staggering in the helium isotopic chain is reproduced within this approach. Finally, we discuss similarities between our results and ultracold Fermi gases.« less

Search for dark matter decay of the free neutron from the UCNA experiment: n → χ + e + e –

DOE PAGES

Sun, X.; Adamek, E.; Allgeier, B.; ...

2018-05-21

It has been proposed recently that a previously unobserved neutron decay branch to a dark matter particle (χ) could account for the discrepancy in the neutron lifetime observed in experiments that use two different measurement techniques. One of the possible final states discussed includes a single χ along with an e +e – pair. We use data from the UCNA (Ultracold Neutron Asymmetry) experiment to set limits on this decay channel. Coincident electron-like events are detected with ~4π acceptance using a pair of detectors that observe a volume of stored ultracold neutrons. The summed kinetic energy (E e+e–) from suchmore » events is used to set limits, as a function of the χ mass, on the branching fraction for this decay channel. For χ masses consistent with resolving the neutron lifetime discrepancy, we exclude this as the dominant dark matter decay channel at >>5σ level for 100 < E e+e– < 644keV. In conclusion, if the χ+e +e – final state is not the only one, we set limits on its branching fraction of <10 –4 for the above E e+e– range at >90% confidence level.« less

Search for dark matter decay of the free neutron from the UCNA experiment: n → χ + e + e –

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, X.; Adamek, E.; Allgeier, B.

It has been proposed recently that a previously unobserved neutron decay branch to a dark matter particle (χ) could account for the discrepancy in the neutron lifetime observed in experiments that use two different measurement techniques. One of the possible final states discussed includes a single χ along with an e +e – pair. We use data from the UCNA (Ultracold Neutron Asymmetry) experiment to set limits on this decay channel. Coincident electron-like events are detected with ~4π acceptance using a pair of detectors that observe a volume of stored ultracold neutrons. The summed kinetic energy (E e+e–) from suchmore » events is used to set limits, as a function of the χ mass, on the branching fraction for this decay channel. For χ masses consistent with resolving the neutron lifetime discrepancy, we exclude this as the dominant dark matter decay channel at >>5σ level for 100 < E e+e– < 644keV. In conclusion, if the χ+e +e – final state is not the only one, we set limits on its branching fraction of <10 –4 for the above E e+e– range at >90% confidence level.« less

Progress toward a new measurement of the neutron lifetime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grammer, Kyle

2015-10-01

Free neutron decay is the simplest nuclear beta decay. A precise value for the neutron lifetime is valuable for standard model consistency tests and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis models. There is a disagreement between the measured neutron lifetime from cold neutron beam experiments and ultracold neutron storage experiments. A new measurement of the neutron lifetime using the beam method is planned at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research. Experimental improvements should result in a 1s uncertainty measurement of the neutron lifetime. The technical improvements, recent apparatus tests, and the path towards the new measurement will be discussed. This work is supported by DOE Office of Science, NIST, and NSF.

Progress toward a new measurement of the neutron lifetime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grammer, Kyle

2015-04-01

Free neutron decay is the simplest nuclear beta decay. A precise value for the neutron lifetime is valuable for standard model consistency tests and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis models. There is a disagreement between the measured neutron lifetime from cold neutron beam experiments and ultracold neutron storage experiments. A new measurement of the neutron lifetime using the beam method is planned at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research. Experimental improvements should result in a 1s uncertainty measurement of the neutron lifetime. The technical improvements and the path towards the new measurement will be discussed. This work is supported by DOE Office of Science, NIST, and NSF.

Contact interaction in an unitary ultracold Fermi gas

DOE PAGES

Pessoa, Renato; Gandolfi, Stefano; Vitiello, S. A.; ...

2015-12-16

An ultracold Fermi atomic gas at unitarity presents universal properties that in the dilute limit can be well described by a contact interaction. By employing a guiding function with correct boundary conditions and making simple modifications to the sampling procedure we are able to calculate the properties of a true contact interaction with the diffusion Monte Carlo method. The results are obtained with small variances. Our calculations for the Bertsch and contact parameters are in excellent agreement with published experiments. The possibility of using a more faithful description of ultracold atomic gases can help uncover additional features of ultracold atomicmore » gases. In addition, this work paves the way to perform quantum Monte Carlo calculations for other systems interacting with contact interactions, where the description using potentials with finite effective range might not be accurate.« less

C2D8: An eight channel CCD readout electronics dedicated to low energy neutron detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourrion, O.; Clement, B.; Tourres, D.; Pignol, G.; Xi, Y.; Rebreyend, D.; Nesvizhevsky, V. V.

2018-02-01

Position-sensitive detectors for cold and ultra-cold neutrons (UCN) are in use in fundamental research. In particular, measuring the properties of the quantum states of bouncing neutrons requires micro-metric spatial resolution. To this end, a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) coated with a thin conversion layer that allows a real time detection of neutron hits is under development at LPSC. In this paper, we present the design and performance of a dedicated electronic board designed to read-out eight CCDs simultaneously and operating under vacuum.

Signatures of photon-scalar interaction in astrophysical situations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, Avijit K.; Jaiswal, Manoj K.

2018-01-01

Dimension-5 photon ( γ) scalar ( ϕ) interaction term usually appear in the Lagrangians of bosonic sector of unified theories of electromagnetism and gravity. This interaction makes the medium dichoric and induces optical activity. Considering a toy model of an ultra-cold magnetized compact star (white dwarf (WD) or neutron star (NS)), we have modeled the propagation of very low energy photons with such interaction, in the environment of these stars. Assuming synchro-curvature process as the dominant mechanism of emission in such environments, we have tried to understand the polarimetric implications of photon-scalar coupling on the produced spectrum of the same. Further more assuming the `emission-energy vs emission-altitude' relation, that is believed to hold in such ( i.e., cold magnetized WD or NS) environments, we have tried to point out the possible modifications to the radiation spectrum when the same is incorporated along with dimension-5 photon-scalar mixing operator.

Dynamic theory of neutron diffraction from a moving grating

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bushuev, V. A., E-mail: vabushuev@yandex.ru; Frank, A. I.; Kulin, G. V.

2016-01-15

A multiwave dynamic theory of diffraction of ultracold neutrons from a moving phase grating has been developed in the approximation of coupled slowly varying amplitudes of wavefunctions. The effect of the velocity, period, and height of grooves of the grating, as well as the spectral angular distribution of the intensity of incident neurons, on the discrete energy spectrum and the intensity of diffraction reflections of various orders has been analyzed.

Towards an In-Beam Measurement of the Neutron Lifetime to 1 Second

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulholland, Jonathan

2014-03-01

A precise value for the neutron lifetime is required for consistency tests of the Standard Model and is an essential parameter in the theory of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. A new measurement of the neutron lifetime using the in-beam method is planned at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research. The systematic effects associated with the in-beam method are markedly different than those found in storage experiments utilizing ultracold neutrons. Experimental improvements, specifically recent advances in the determination of absolute neutron fluence, should permit an overall uncertainty of 1 second on the neutron lifetime. The dependence of the primordial mass fraction on the neutron lifetime, technical improvements of the in-beam technique, and the path toward improving the precision of the new measurement will be discussed.

Object Tracking Vision System for Mapping the UCN τ Apparatus Volume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lumb, Rowan; UCNtau Collaboration

2016-09-01

The UCN τ collaboration has an immediate goal to measure the lifetime of the free neutron to within 0.1%, i.e. about 1 s. The UCN τ apparatus is a magneto-gravitational ``bottle'' system. This system holds low energy, or ultracold, neutrons in the apparatus with the constraint of gravity, and keeps these low energy neutrons from interacting with the bottle via a strong 1 T surface magnetic field created by a bowl-shaped array of permanent magnets. The apparatus is wrapped with energized coils to supply a magnetic field throughout the ''bottle'' volume to prevent depolarization of the neutrons. An object-tracking stereo-vision system will be presented that precisely tracks a Hall probe and allows a mapping of the magnetic field throughout the volume of the UCN τ bottle. The stereo-vision system utilizes two cameras and open source openCV software to track an object's 3-d position in space in real time. The desired resolution is +/-1 mm resolution along each axis. The vision system is being used as part of an even larger system to map the magnetic field of the UCN τ apparatus and expose any possible systematic effects due to field cancellation or low field points which could allow neutrons to depolarize and possibly escape from the apparatus undetected. Tennessee Technological University.

Ultracold Nonreactive Molecules in an Optical Lattice: Connecting Chemistry to Many-Body Physics.

PubMed

Doçaj, Andris; Wall, Michael L; Mukherjee, Rick; Hazzard, Kaden R A

2016-04-01

We derive effective lattice models for ultracold bosonic or fermionic nonreactive molecules (NRMs) in an optical lattice, analogous to the Hubbard model that describes ultracold atoms in a lattice. In stark contrast to the Hubbard model, which is commonly assumed to accurately describe NRMs, we find that the single on-site interaction parameter U is replaced by a multichannel interaction, whose properties we elucidate. Because this arises from complex short-range collisional physics, it requires no dipolar interactions and thus occurs even in the absence of an electric field or for homonuclear molecules. We find a crossover between coherent few-channel models and fully incoherent single-channel models as the lattice depth is increased. We show that the effective model parameters can be determined in lattice modulation experiments, which, consequently, measure molecular collision dynamics with a vastly sharper energy resolution than experiments in a free-space ultracold gas.

The energy release and temperature field in the ultracold neutron source of the WWR-M reactor at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Serebrov, A. P., E-mail: serebrov@pnpi.spb.ru; Kislitsin, B. V.; Onegin, M. S.

2016-12-15

Results of calculations of energy releases and temperature fields in the ultracold neutron source under design at the WWR-M reactor are presented. It is shown that, with the reactor power of 18 MW, the power of energy release in the 40-L volume of the source with superfluid helium will amount to 28.5 W, while 356 W will be released in a liquid-deuterium premoderator. The lead shield between the reactor core and the source reduces the radiative heat release by an order of magnitude. A thermal power of 22 kW is released in it, which is removed by passage of water.more » The distribution of temperatures in all components of the vacuum structure is presented, and the temperature does not exceed 100°C at full reactor power. The calculations performed make it possible to go to design of the source.« less

Ultracold-neutron production and up-scattering in superfluid helium between 1.1 K and 2.4 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, K. K. H.; Ivanov, S.; Piegsa, F. M.; Simson, M.; Zimmer, O.

2016-02-01

Ultracold neutrons (UCNs) were produced in superfluid helium using the PF1B cold-neutron beam facility at the Institut Laue-Langevin. A 4-liter beryllium-coated converter volume with a mechanical valve and windowless stainless-steel extraction system were used to accumulate and guide UCNs to a detector at room temperature. At a converter temperature of 1.08 K the total storage time constant in the vessel was (20.3 ±1.2 )s and the number of UCNs counted after accumulated was 91 700 ±300 . From this, we derive a volumetric UCN production rate of (6.9 ±1.7 ) cm-3s-1 , which includes a correction for losses in the converter during UCN extraction caused by the short storage time, but not accounting for UCN transport and detection efficiencies. The up-scattering rate of UCNs caused by excitations in the superfluid was studied by scanning the temperature between 1.2 K and 2.4 K . Using the temperature-dependent UCN production rate calculated from inelastic neutron scattering data, the only UCN up-scattering process found to occur was from two-phonon scattering. Our analysis for T <1.95 K rules out the contributions from roton-phonon scattering to <29 % (95% C.I.) and from one-phonon absorption to <47 % (95% C.I.) of their predicted levels.

Detection system for neutron β decay correlations in the UCNB and Nab experiments

DOE PAGES

Broussard, L. J.; Oak Ridge National Lab.; Zeck, B. A.; ...

2016-12-19

Here, we describe a detection system designed to precisely measure multiple correlations in neutron β decay. Furthermore, the system is based on thick, large area, highly segmented silicon detectors developed in collaboration with Micron Semiconductor, Ltd. The prototype system meets specifications of energy thresholds below 10 keV, energy resolution of ~3 keV FWHM, and rise time of ~50 ns with 19 of the 127 detector pixels instrumented. We have demonstrated the coincident detection of β particles and recoil protons from neutron β decay, using ultracold neutrons at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, . The fully instrumented detection system willmore » be implemented in the UCNB and Nab experiments, to determine the neutron β decay parameters B, a, and b.« less

Cryogenic magnetic coil and superconducting magnetic shield for neutron electric dipole moment searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slutsky, S.; Swank, C. M.; Biswas, A.; Carr, R.; Escribano, J.; Filippone, B. W.; Griffith, W. C.; Mendenhall, M.; Nouri, N.; Osthelder, C.; Pérez Galván, A.; Picker, R.; Plaster, B.

2017-08-01

A magnetic coil operated at cryogenic temperatures is used to produce spatial, relative field gradients below 6 ppm/cm, stable for several hours. The apparatus is a prototype of the magnetic components for a neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) search, which will take place at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory using ultra-cold neutrons (UCN). That search requires a uniform magnetic field to mitigate systematic effects and obtain long polarization lifetimes for neutron spin precession measurements. This paper details upgrades to a previously described apparatus [1], particularly the introduction of super-conducting magnetic shielding and the associated cryogenic apparatus. The magnetic gradients observed are sufficiently low for the nEDM search at SNS.

Quantum chaos in ultracold collisions of gas-phase erbium atoms.

PubMed

Frisch, Albert; Mark, Michael; Aikawa, Kiyotaka; Ferlaino, Francesca; Bohn, John L; Makrides, Constantinos; Petrov, Alexander; Kotochigova, Svetlana

2014-03-27

Atomic and molecular samples reduced to temperatures below one microkelvin, yet still in the gas phase, afford unprecedented energy resolution in probing and manipulating the interactions between their constituent particles. As a result of this resolution, atoms can be made to scatter resonantly on demand, through the precise control of a magnetic field. For simple atoms, such as alkalis, scattering resonances are extremely well characterized. However, ultracold physics is now poised to enter a new regime, where much more complex species can be cooled and studied, including magnetic lanthanide atoms and even molecules. For molecules, it has been speculated that a dense set of resonances in ultracold collision cross-sections will probably exhibit essentially random fluctuations, much as the observed energy spectra of nuclear scattering do. According to the Bohigas-Giannoni-Schmit conjecture, such fluctuations would imply chaotic dynamics of the underlying classical motion driving the collision. This would necessitate new ways of looking at the fundamental interactions in ultracold atomic and molecular systems, as well as perhaps new chaos-driven states of ultracold matter. Here we describe the experimental demonstration that random spectra are indeed found at ultralow temperatures. In the experiment, an ultracold gas of erbium atoms is shown to exhibit many Fano-Feshbach resonances, of the order of three per gauss for bosons. Analysis of their statistics verifies that their distribution of nearest-neighbour spacings is what one would expect from random matrix theory. The density and statistics of these resonances are explained by fully quantum mechanical scattering calculations that locate their origin in the anisotropy of the atoms' potential energy surface. Our results therefore reveal chaotic behaviour in the native interaction between ultracold atoms.

Experiment on search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using a projected UCN source at the WWR-M reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fomin, A. K.; Serebrov, A. P.; Zherebtsov, O. M.; Leonova, E. N.; Chaikovskii, M. E.

2017-01-01

We propose an experiment on search for neutron-antineutron oscillations based on the storage of ultracold neutrons (UCN) in a material trap. The sensitivity of the experiment mostly depends on the trap size and the amount of UCN in it. In Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI) a high-intensity UCN source is projected at the WWR-M reactor, which must provide UCN density 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than existing sources. The results of simulations of the designed experimental scheme show that the sensitivity can be increased by ˜ 10-40 times compared to sensitivity of previous experiment depending on the model of neutron reflection from walls.

Systematic Studies using the UCN τ Magneto-Gravitational Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seestrom, Susan; UCNτ Collaboration

2016-09-01

The UCN τ Experiment measures the neutron lifetime using Ultracold Neutrons (UCN) stored in a magneto-gravitational trap. The trap employs various techniques to remove neutrons whose energies are too high to be trapped. It has recently been instrumented with a novel in situ detector that can be lowered into the trap to measure the neutron population as a function of height within the trap. This has allowed us to perform a series of systematic studies aimed at understanding and quantifying potential systematic effects associated with quasi-bound neutrons and phase space evolution. We have obtained multiple sets of data each having a statistical uncertainty of about 3 sec. We will discuss the results of our studies of cleaning and phase space evolution as well as results from studies of backgrounds and normalization of the initial neutron loading.

Understanding Molecular Ion-Neutral Atom Collisions for the Production of Ultracold Molecular Ions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-06

Understanding Molecular Ion-Neutral Atom Collisions for the Production of Utracold Molecular Ions In the last five years, the study of ultracold...U.S. Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 molecular ion, quantum chemistry, atom ion interaction...Molecular Ion-Neutral Atom Collisions for the Production of Utracold Molecular Ions Report Title In the last five years, the study of ultracold molecular

A hydrogen leak-tight, transparent cryogenic sample container for ultracold-neutron transmission measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Döge, Stefan; Hingerl, Jürgen

2018-03-01

The improvement of the number of extractable ultracold neutrons (UCNs) from converters based on solid deuterium (sD2) crystals requires a good understanding of the UCN transport and how the crystal's morphology influences its transparency to the UCNs. Measurements of the UCN transmission through cryogenic liquids and solids of interest, such as hydrogen (H2) and deuterium (D2), require sample containers with thin, highly polished and optically transparent windows and a well defined sample thickness. One of the most difficult sealing problems is that of light gases like hydrogen and helium at low temperatures against high vacuum. Here we report on the design of a sample container with two 1 mm thin amorphous silica windows cold-welded to aluminum clamps using indium wire gaskets, in order to form a simple, reusable, and hydrogen-tight cryogenic seal. The container meets the above-mentioned requirements and withstands up to 2 bar hydrogen gas pressure against isolation vacuum in the range of 10-5 to 10-7 mbar at temperatures down to 4.5 K. Additionally, photographs of the crystallization process are shown and discussed.

Superfluid Fermi atomic gas as a quantum simulator for the study of the neutron-star equation of state in the low-density region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Wyk, Pieter; Tajima, Hiroyuki; Inotani, Daisuke; Ohnishi, Akira; Ohashi, Yoji

2018-01-01

We propose a theoretical idea to use an ultracold Fermi gas as a quantum simulator for the study of the low-density region of a neutron-star interior. Our idea is different from the standard quantum simulator that heads for perfect replication of another system, such as the Hubbard model discussed in high-Tc cuprates. Instead, we use the similarity between two systems and theoretically make up for the difference between them. That is, (1) we first show that the strong-coupling theory developed by Nozières and Schmitt-Rink (NSR) can quantitatively explain the recent experiment on the equation of state (EoS) in a 6Li superfluid Fermi gas in the BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer) unitary limit far below the superfluid phase-transition temperature Tc. This region is considered to be very similar to the low-density region (crust regime) of a neutron star (where a nearly unitary s -wave neutron superfluid is expected). (2) We then theoretically compensate the difference that, while the effective range reff is negligibly small in a superfluid 6Li Fermi gas, it cannot be ignored (reff=2.7 fm) in a neutron star, by extending the NSR theory to include effects of reff. The calculated EoS when reff=2.7 fm is shown to agree well with the previous neutron-star EoS in the low-density region predicted in nuclear physics. Our idea indicates that an ultracold atomic gas may more flexibly be used as a quantum simulator for the study of other complicated quantum many-body systems, when we use not only the experimental high tunability, but also the recent theoretical development in this field. Since it is difficult to directly observe a neutron-star interior, our idea would provide a useful approach to the exploration for this mysterious astronomical object.

A Superconducting Magnet UCN Trap for Precise Neutron Lifetime Measurements.

PubMed

Picker, R; Altarev, I; Bröcker, J; Gutsmiedl, E; Hartmann, J; Müller, A; Paul, S; Schott, W; Trinks, U; Zimmer, O

2005-01-01

Finite-element methods along with Monte Carlo simulations were used to design a magnetic storage device for ultracold neutrons (UCN) to measure their lifetime. A setup was determined which should make it possible to confine UCN with negligible losses and detect the protons emerging from β-decay with high efficiency: stacked superconducting solenoids create the magnetic storage field, an electrostatic extraction field inside the storage volume assures high proton collection efficiency. Alongside with the optimization of the magnetic and electrostatic design, the properties of the trap were investigated through extensive Monte Carlo simulation.

Future prospects of baryon istability search in p-decay and n n(bar) oscillation experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ball, S.J.; Kamyshkov, Y.A.

1996-11-01

These proceedings contain thirty-one papers which review both the theoretical and the experimental status and near future of baryon instability research. Baryon instability is investigated from the vantage point of supersymmetric and unified theories. The interplay between baryogenesis and antimatter is examined. Double beta decay experiments are discussed. The huge Icarus experiment is described with its proton decay capabilities. Neutron-antineutron oscillations investigations are presented, especially efforts with ultra-cold neutrons. Individual papers are indexed separately on the Energy Data Base.

Dipole-dipole interactions in a hot atomic vapor and in an ultracold gas of Rydberg atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sautenkov, V. A.; Saakyan, S. A.; Bronin, S. Ya; Klyarfeld, A. B.; Zelener, B. B.; Zelener, B. V.

2018-01-01

In our paper ideal and non-ideal gas media of neutral atoms are analyzed. The first we discuss a dipole broadening of atomic transitions in excited dilute and dense metal vapors. Then the theoretical studies of the dipole-dipole interactions in dense ultracold gas of Rydberg atoms are considered. Possible future experiments on a base of our experimental arrangement are suggested.

Large Cleaner Detectors for the UCN τ Neutron Lifetime Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, Francisco; UCNtau Collaboration

2017-09-01

The UCN τ experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory measures the neutron β-decay lifetime by storing ultracold neutrons (UCNs) in a magneto-gravitational trap for holding times longer than the neutron's lifetime. Neutrons with energies above the trapping potential can escape the trap, giving rise to a systematic error. To mitigate this effect, a large polyethylene sheet is lowered into the trap to remove the high energy unbound neutrons. High energy UCN upscatter in the polyethylene sheet and leave the trap. Such a ``UCN spectrum cleaner,'' covering half the trap top, was shown to be effective in removing high-energy neutrons in previous run cycles. During this run cycle, the UCN τ collaboration has added two thermal neutron detectors on the spectrum cleaner. The new thermal neutron detectors will monitor high-energy neutrons throughout upcoming run cycles, providing important information on the neutron normalization, spectral cleaning, and heating during storage. These detectors use LiF-ZnS sheets coupled to a wavelength-shifting plastic slab, with silicon photomultipliers attached to the edges. We will present results of the light detection simulation and performance tests of these detectors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baeßler, S.; Nesvizhevsky, V. V.; Pignol, G.

Quantum states of ultracold neutrons in a gravitational field are characterized through gravitational resonance spectroscopy. This paper discusses systematic effects that appear in the spectroscopic measurements. The discussed frequency shifts-which we call the Stern-Gerlach shift, interference shift, and spectator-state shift-appear in conceivable measurement schemes and have general importance. Lastly, these shifts have to be taken into account in precision experiments.

Nicholas Metropolis Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Work in Computational Physics: Quantum many-body physics of ultracold molecules in optical lattices: models and simulation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wall, Michael

2014-03-01

Experimental progress in generating and manipulating synthetic quantum systems, such as ultracold atoms and molecules in optical lattices, has revolutionized our understanding of quantum many-body phenomena and posed new challenges for modern numerical techniques. Ultracold molecules, in particular, feature long-range dipole-dipole interactions and a complex and selectively accessible internal structure of rotational and hyperfine states, leading to many-body models with long range interactions and many internal degrees of freedom. Additionally, the many-body physics of ultracold molecules is often probed far from equilibrium, and so algorithms which simulate quantum many-body dynamics are essential. Numerical methods which are to have significant impact in the design and understanding of such synthetic quantum materials must be able to adapt to a variety of different interactions, physical degrees of freedom, and out-of-equilibrium dynamical protocols. Matrix product state (MPS)-based methods, such as the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG), have become the de facto standard for strongly interacting low-dimensional systems. Moreover, the flexibility of MPS-based methods makes them ideally suited both to generic, open source implementation as well as to studies of the quantum many-body dynamics of ultracold molecules. After introducing MPSs and variational algorithms using MPSs generally, I will discuss my own research using MPSs for many-body dynamics of long-range interacting systems. In addition, I will describe two open source implementations of MPS-based algorithms in which I was involved, as well as educational materials designed to help undergraduates and graduates perform research in computational quantum many-body physics using a variety of numerical methods including exact diagonalization and static and dynamic variational MPS methods. Finally, I will mention present research on ultracold molecules in optical lattices, such as the exploration of many-body physics with polyatomic molecules, and the next generation of open source matrix product state codes. This work was performed in the research group of Prof. Lincoln D. Carr.

Magnetic field mapping of the UCNTau magneto-gravitational trap: design study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libersky, Matthew Murray

2014-09-04

The beta decay lifetime of the free neutron is an important input to the Standard Model of particle physics, but values measured using different methods have exhibited substantial disagreement. The UCN r experiment in development at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) plans to explore better methods of measuring the neutron lifetime using ultracold neutrons (UCNs). In this experiment, UCNs are confined in a magneto-gravitational trap formed by a curved, asymmetric Halbach array placed inside a vacuum vessel and surrounded by holding field coils. If any defects present in the Halbach array are sufficient to reduce the local field near themore » surface below that needed to repel the desired energy level UCNs, loss by material interaction can occur at a rate similar to the loss by beta decay. A map of the magnetic field near the surface of the array is necessary to identify any such defects, but the array's curved geometry and placement in a vacuum vessel make conventional field mapping methods difficult. A system consisting of computer vision-based tracking and a rover holding a Hall probe has been designed to map the field near the surface of the array, and construction of an initial prototype has begun at LANL. The design of the system and initial results will be described here.« less

Frequency shifts in gravitational resonance spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Baeßler, S.; Nesvizhevsky, V. V.; Pignol, G.; ...

2015-02-25

Quantum states of ultracold neutrons in a gravitational field are characterized through gravitational resonance spectroscopy. This paper discusses systematic effects that appear in the spectroscopic measurements. The discussed frequency shifts-which we call the Stern-Gerlach shift, interference shift, and spectator-state shift-appear in conceivable measurement schemes and have general importance. Lastly, these shifts have to be taken into account in precision experiments.

Synthetic Spin-Orbit and Light Field Coupling in Ultra-cold Quantum Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Lin

Ultra-cold quantum gases subjected to light-induced synthetic gauge potentials have become an emergent field of theoretical and experimental studies. Because of the novel application of two-photon Raman transitions, ultra-cold neutral atoms behave like charged particles in magnetic field. The Raman coupling naturally gives rise to an effective spin-orbit interaction which couples the atoms center-of-mass motion to its selected pseudo-spin degrees of freedom. Combined with unprecedented controllability of interactions, geometry, disorder strength, spectroscopy, and high resolution measurement of momentum distribution, etc., we are truly in an exciting era of fulfilling and going beyond Richard Feynman's vision. of realizing quantum simulators to better understand the quantum mechanical nature of the universe, manifested immensely in the ultra-cold regimes. In this dissertation, we present a collection of theoretical progresses made by the doctoral candidate and his colleagues and collaborators. From the past few years of work, we mainly address three aspects of the synthetic spin-orbit and light field induced coupling in ultracold quantum gases: a) The ground-state physics of singleparticle system, two-body bound states, and many-body systems, all of which are subjected to spin-orbit coupling originated from synthetic gauge potentials; b) The symmetry breaking, topological phase transition and quench dynamics, which are conveniently offered by the realized experimental setup; c) The proposal and implications of light field induced dynamical spin-orbit coupling for atoms inside optical cavity. Our work represents an important advancement of theoretical understanding to the active research frontier of ultra-cold atom physics with spin-orbit coupling.

Strong photoassociation in a degenerate fermi gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rvachov, Timur; Jamison, Alan; Jing, Li; Son, Hyungmok; Ebadi, Sepehr; Jiang, Yijun; Zwierlein, Martin; Ketterle, Wolfgang

2016-05-01

Despite many studies there remain open questions about strong photoassociation in ultracold gases. We study the effects of strong photoassociation in ultracold fermions. Photoassociation occurs only at short range and thus can be used as a tool to probe and control the two-body correlation function in an interacting many-body system. We study the effects of strong photoassociation in 6 Li, the onset of saturation, and its effects on spin polarized and interacting spin-mixtures. This work was funded by the NSF, ARO-MURI, SAMSUNG, and NSERC.

Quantum Criticality and Black Holes

ScienceCinema

Sachdev, Subir [Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

2017-12-09

I will describe the behavior of a variety of condensed matter systems in the vicinity of zero temperature quantum phase transitions. There is a remarkable analogy between the hydrodynamics of such systems and the quantum theory of black holes. I will show how insights from this analogy have shed light on recent experiments on the cuprate high temperature superconductors. Studies of new materials and trapped ultracold atoms are yielding new quantum phases, with novel forms of quantum entanglement. Some materials are of technological importance: e.g. high temperature superconductors. Exact solutions via black hole mapping have yielded first exact results for transport coefficients in interacting many-body systems, and were valuable in determining general structure of hydrodynamics. Theory of VBS order and Nernst effect in cuprates. Tabletop 'laboratories for the entire universe': quantum mechanics of black holes, quark-gluon plasma, neutrons stars, and big-bang physics.

Detecting Friedel oscillations in ultracold Fermi gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riechers, Keno; Hueck, Klaus; Luick, Niclas; Lompe, Thomas; Moritz, Henning

2017-09-01

Investigating Friedel oscillations in ultracold gases would complement the studies performed on solid state samples with scanning-tunneling microscopes. In atomic quantum gases interactions and external potentials can be tuned freely and the inherently slower dynamics allow to access non-equilibrium dynamics following a potential or interaction quench. Here, we examine how Friedel oscillations can be observed in current ultracold gas experiments under realistic conditions. To this aim we numerically calculate the amplitude of the Friedel oscillations which are induced by a potential barrier in a 1D Fermi gas and compare it to the expected atomic and photonic shot noise in a density measurement. We find that to detect Friedel oscillations the signal from several thousand one-dimensional systems has to be averaged. However, as up to 100 parallel one-dimensional systems can be prepared in a single run with present experiments, averaging over about 100 images is sufficient.

Optoelectrical Cooling of Formaldehyde to Sub-Millikelvin Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeppenfeld, Martin

2016-05-01

Due to their strong long-range dipole-dipole interactions and large number of internal states, polar molecules cooled to ultracold temperatures enable fascinating applications ranging from ultracold chemistry to investigation of dipolar quantum gases. However, realizing a simple and general technique to cool molecules to ultracold temperatures, akin to laser cooling of atoms, has been a formidable challenge. We present results for opto-electrical Sisyphus cooling applied to formaldehyde (H2 CO). In this generally applicable cooling scheme, molecules repeatedly move up and down electric field gradients of a trapping potential in different rotational states to efficiently extract kinetic energy. A total of about 300,000 molecules are thereby cooled by a factor of 1000 to 400uK, resulting in a record-large ensemble of ultracold molecules. In addition to cooling of the motional degrees of freedom, optical pumping via a vibrational transition allows us to control the internal rotational state. We thereby achieve a purity of over 80% of formaldehyde molecules in a single rotational M-sublevel. Our experiment provides an excellent starting point for precision spectroscopy and investigation of ultracold collisions.

High-resolution internal state control of ultracold 23Na87Rb molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Mingyang; Ye, Xin; He, Junyu; Quéméner, Goulven; Wang, Dajun

2018-02-01

We report the full internal state control of ultracold 23Na87Rb molecules, including vibrational, rotational, and hyperfine degrees of freedom. Starting from a sample of weakly bound Feshbach molecules, we realize the creation of molecules in single hyperfine levels of both the rovibrational ground and excited states with a high-efficiency and high-resolution stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. This capability brings broad possibilities for investigating ultracold polar molecules with different chemical reactivities and interactions with a single molecular species. Moreover, starting from the rovibrational and hyperfine ground state, we achieve rotational and hyperfine control with one- and two-photon microwave spectroscopy to reach levels not accessible by the stimulated Raman transfer. The combination of these two techniques results in complete control over the internal state of ultracold polar molecules, which paves the way to study state-dependent molecular collisions and state-controlled chemical reactions.

The performance of the upgraded Los Alamos Neutron Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Takeyasu; LANL UCN Source Collaboration

2017-09-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory has been operating an ultracold (UCN) source based on a solid deuterium (SD2) UCN converter driven by spallation neutrons for over 10 years. It has recently been successfully upgraded, by replacing the cryostat that contains the cold neutron moderator, SD2 volume, and vertical UCN guide. The horizontal UCN guide that transports UCN out of the radiation shield was also replaced. The new design reflects lessons learned from the 10+ year long operation of the previous version of the UCN source and is optimized to maximize the cold neutron flux at the SD2 volume, featuring a close coupled cold neutron moderator, and maximize the transport of the UCN to experiments. During the commissioning of the upgraded UCN source, data were collected to measure its performance, including cold neutron spectra as a function of the cold moderator temperature, and the UCN density in a vessel outside the source. In this talk, after a brief overview of the design of the upgraded source, the results of the performance tests and comparison to prediction will be presented. This work was funded by LANL LDRD.

Gravity resonance spectroscopy constrains dark energy and dark matter scenarios.

PubMed

Jenke, T; Cronenberg, G; Burgdörfer, J; Chizhova, L A; Geltenbort, P; Ivanov, A N; Lauer, T; Lins, T; Rotter, S; Saul, H; Schmidt, U; Abele, H

2014-04-18

We report on precision resonance spectroscopy measurements of quantum states of ultracold neutrons confined above the surface of a horizontal mirror by the gravity potential of Earth. Resonant transitions between several of the lowest quantum states are observed for the first time. These measurements demonstrate that Newton's inverse square law of gravity is understood at micron distances on an energy scale of 10-14  eV. At this level of precision, we are able to provide constraints on any possible gravitylike interaction. In particular, a dark energy chameleon field is excluded for values of the coupling constant β>5.8×108 at 95% confidence level (C.L.), and an attractive (repulsive) dark matter axionlike spin-mass coupling is excluded for the coupling strength gsgp>3.7×10-16 (5.3×10-16) at a Yukawa length of λ=20  μm (95% C.L.).

Floquet Engineering of Correlated Tunneling in the Bose-Hubbard Model with Ultracold Atoms.

PubMed

Meinert, F; Mark, M J; Lauber, K; Daley, A J; Nägerl, H-C

2016-05-20

We report on the experimental implementation of tunable occupation-dependent tunneling in a Bose-Hubbard system of ultracold atoms via time-periodic modulation of the on-site interaction energy. The tunneling rate is inferred from a time-resolved measurement of the lattice site occupation after a quantum quench. We demonstrate coherent control of the tunneling dynamics in the correlated many-body system, including full suppression of tunneling as predicted within the framework of Floquet theory. We find that the tunneling rate explicitly depends on the atom number difference in neighboring lattice sites. Our results may open up ways to realize artificial gauge fields that feature density dependence with ultracold atoms.

Velocity-dependent quantum phase slips in 1D atomic superfluids.

PubMed

Tanzi, Luca; Scaffidi Abbate, Simona; Cataldini, Federica; Gori, Lorenzo; Lucioni, Eleonora; Inguscio, Massimo; Modugno, Giovanni; D'Errico, Chiara

2016-05-18

Quantum phase slips are the primary excitations in one-dimensional superfluids and superconductors at low temperatures but their existence in ultracold quantum gases has not been demonstrated yet. We now study experimentally the nucleation rate of phase slips in one-dimensional superfluids realized with ultracold quantum gases, flowing along a periodic potential. We observe a crossover between a regime of temperature-dependent dissipation at small velocity and interaction and a second regime of velocity-dependent dissipation at larger velocity and interaction. This behavior is consistent with the predicted crossover from thermally-assisted quantum phase slips to purely quantum phase slips.

Performance of the New Los Alamos UCN Source and Implications for Future Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makela, Mark; LANL UCN Team

2017-01-01

The Los Alamos Ultracold Neutron (UCN) source was replaced during this past summer and has been commissioned during the last few months. The new source is the result of lessons learned during the 10 year operation of the first UCN source and extensive Monte Carlo analysis. The new source is a spallation driven source based on a solid deuterium UCN moderator similar the previous one. This talk will present an overview of the new source design and the results of commissioning tests. The talk will conclude with a brief overview of the implications of source performance on the neutron lifetime and LANL nEDM experiments. This work was funded by LANL LDRD.

USSR and Eastern Europe Scientific Abstracts. Physics and Mathematics, Number 31

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-12-30

recorded by the method of photon counting . Based on the resultant, the optimal experimental conditions can be judged for investigation of the propagation...zero-power thermal heavy-water reactor with glazed ceramic fuel elements of honeycomb type with natural uranium . By examining the variation in radius R...ultracold neutron registration of 50 and 25% respectively. The radiator in the detectors is a uranium -titanium layer. Both detectors are practically

Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarnecki, Andrzej; Marciano, William J.; Sirlin, Alberto

2018-05-01

Experimental studies of neutron decay, n →p e ν ¯, exhibit two anomalies. The first is a 8.6(2.1) s, roughly 4 σ difference between the average beam measured neutron lifetime, τnbeam=888.0 (2.0 ) s , and the more precise average trapped ultracold neutron determination, τntrap=879.4 (6 ) s . The second is a 5 σ difference between the pre2002 average axial coupling, gA, as measured in neutron decay asymmetries gApre 2002=1.2637 (21 ) , and the more recent, post2002, average gApost 2002=1.2755 (11 ), where, following the UCNA Collaboration division, experiments are classified by the date of their most recent result. In this Letter, we correlate those τn and gA values using a (slightly) updated relation τn(1 +3 gA2)=5172.0 (1.1 ) s . Consistency with that relation and better precision suggest τnfavored=879.4 (6 ) s and gAfavored=1.2755 (11 ) as preferred values for those parameters. Comparisons of gAfavored with recent lattice QCD and muonic hydrogen capture results are made. A general constraint on exotic neutron decay branching ratios, <0.27 %, is discussed and applied to a recently proposed solution to the neutron lifetime puzzle.

Understanding ultracold polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julienne, Paul

2009-05-01

The successful production of a dense sample of ultracold ground state KRb polar molecules [1] opens the door to a new era of research with dipolar gases and lattices of such species. This feat was achieved by first associating a K and a Rb atom to make a weakly bound Feshbach molecule and then coherently transferring the population to the ground vibrational level of the molecule. This talk focuses on theoretical issues associated with making and using ultracold polar molecules, using KRb as an example [2]. Full understanding of this species and the processes by which it is made requires taking advantage of accurate molecular potentials [3], ab initio calculations [4], and the properties of the long-range potential. A highly accurate model is available for KRb for all bound states below the ground state separated atom limit and could be constructed for other species. The next step is to develop an understanding of the interactions between polar molecules, and their control in the ultracold domain. Understanding long-range interactions and threshold resonances will be crucial for future work. [1] K.-K. Ni, et al, Science 322, 231(2008). [2] P. S. Julienne, arXiv:0812:1233. [3] Pashov et al., Phys. Rev. A76, 022511 (2007). [4] S. Kotochigova, et al., arXiv:0901.1486.

Making a molecular gas in the quantum regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Kang-Kuen

2017-04-01

Ultracold molecules are exciting systems for a large range of scientific explorations including studies of novel phases of matter and precision measurement. In this talk, I will present a brief story of the first quantum gas of molecules, KRb, created under my PhD advisor, Deborah Jin, in 2008. A complete surprise was finding ultracold chemistry in such a system through measurements of reactant losses. In particular, long-range physics that determines KRb reactant collision rates, including van der Waals interactions, quantum statistics, and dipolar interactions, were studied extensively. However, the short-range behavior of these chemical reactions remains unknown. A legacy of her work is carried out in my lab at Harvard, where we are integrating physical chemistry tools with cold atom techniques to study ultracold chemistry with KRb molecules. In particular, we aim to elucidate the four-center reaction 2 KRb ->K2 + Rb2 by detecting the reaction products through ionization - both identify the product species and mapping out their complete quantum states.

The search for permanent electric dipole moments, in particular for the one of the neutron

ScienceCinema

Kirch, Klaus

2018-05-04

Nonzero permanent electric dipole moments (EDM) of fundamental systems like particles, nuclei, atoms or molecules violate parity and time reversal invariance. Invoking the CPT theorem, time reversal violation implies CP violation. Although CP-violation is implemented in the standard electro-weak theory, EDM generated this way remain undetectably small. However, this CP-violation also appears to fail explaining the observed baryon asymmetry of our universe. Extensions of the standard theory usually include new CP violating phases which often lead to the prediciton of larger EDM. EDM searches in different systems are complementary and various efforts worldwide are underway, but no finite value could be established yet. An improved search for the EDM of the neutron requires, among other things, much better statistics. At PSI, we are presently commissioning a new high intensity source of ultracold neutrons. At the same time, with an international collaboration, we are setting up for a new measurement of the neutron EDM which is starting this year.

Ultracold Gas Theory from the Top-Down and Bottom-Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colussi, Victor E.

Advances in trapping and cooling of ultracold gases over the last several decades have made it possible to test many formerly outstanding predictions from disparate branches of physics. This thesis touches on three historical problems that have found new life recently in the context of ultracold Bose gases of alkali atoms. The first problem revolves around an outstanding prediction from Boltzmann over a century and half old that the breathing mode of a isotropically trapped classical gas should oscillate indefinitely. I analyze recent experimental results, and attribute observed damping sources to trap imperfections. The second question is about the analogue of first and second sound modes from liquid helium in trapped dilute gases. I present the results of a joint theoretical/experimental investigation of the breathing mode of a finite temperature Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), attributing a striking collapse revival behavior of the resultant oscillation to in-phase and out-of-phase normal modes of the thermal cloud and condensate. The third problem is that of the formation of Borromean ring-like three-body bound states, referred to as Efimov trimers, in strongly-interacting few-body systems. I extend the predicted spectrum of Efimov states into the realm of many degenerate internal levels, and investigate the difficult three-body elastic scattering problem. These questions are part of the broader theme of this thesis: How can our understanding of few-body physics in the ultracold limit be translated into statements about the bulk behavior of an ultracold gas? For weakly-interacting Bose gases, this translation is well-known: the many-body properties of the gas are well-described by the tracking just the one and two particle correlations. I analyze a generalization of this procedure to higher order correlations, the general connection between few-body physics and correlations in a dilute gas, and results for the emergence of Efimov physics in the magnetic phase of the strongly-interacting Bose gas.

I.I. Rabi in Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics Prize Talk: Strongly Interacting Fermi Gases of Atoms and Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwierlein, Martin

2017-04-01

Strongly interacting fermions govern physics at all length scales, from nuclear matter to modern electronic materials and neutron stars. The interplay of the Pauli principle with strong interactions can give rise to exotic properties that we do not understand even at a qualitative level. In recent years, ultracold Fermi gases of atoms have emerged as a new type of strongly interacting fermionic matter that can be created and studied in the laboratory with exquisite control. Feshbach resonances allow for unitarity limited interactions, leading to scale invariance, universal thermodynamics and a superfluid phase transition already at 17 Trapped in optical lattices, fermionic atoms realize the Fermi-Hubbard model, believed to capture the essence of cuprate high-temperature superconductors. Here, a microscope allows for single-atom, single-site resolved detection of density and spin correlations, revealing the Pauli hole as well as anti-ferromagnetic and doublon-hole correlations. Novel states of matter are predicted for fermions interacting via long-range dipolar interactions. As an intriguing candidate we created stable fermionic molecules of NaK at ultralow temperatures featuring large dipole moments and second-long spin coherence times. In some of the above examples the experiment outperformed the most advanced computer simulations of many-fermion systems, giving hope for a new level of understanding of strongly interacting fermions.

Observation of Feshbach resonances between ultracold Na and Rb atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fudong; Xiong, Dezhi; Li, Xiaoke; Wang, Dajun

2013-03-01

Absolute ground-state 23Na87Rb molecule has a large electric dipole moment of 3.3 Debye and its two body exchange chemical reaction is energetically forbidden at ultracold temperatures. It is thus a nice candidate for studying quantum gases with dipolar interactions. We have built an experiment setup to investigate ultracold collisions between Na and Rb atoms as a first step toward the production of ground state molecular samples. Ultracold mixtures are first obtained by evaporative cooling of Rb and sympathetic cooling of Na. They are then transferred to a crossed dipole trap and prepared in different spin combinations for Feshbach resonance study. Several resonances below 1000 G are observed with both atoms prepared in either | F = 1,mF = 1 > or | F = 1,mF = - 1 > hyperfine states. Most of them are within 30 G of predicted values§ based on potentials obtained by high quality molecular spectroscopy studies. This work is supported by RGC Hong Kong. § E. Tiemann, private communications

Possible Many-Body Localization in a Long-Lived Finite-Temperature Ultracold Quasineutral Molecular Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sous, John; Grant, Edward

2018-03-01

We argue that the quenched ultracold plasma presents an experimental platform for studying the quantum many-body physics of disordered systems in the long-time and finite energy-density limits. We consider an experiment that quenches a plasma of nitric oxide to an ultracold system of Rydberg molecules, ions, and electrons that exhibits a long-lived state of arrested relaxation. The qualitative features of this state fail to conform with classical models. Here, we develop a microscopic quantum description for the arrested phase based on an effective many-body spin Hamiltonian that includes both dipole-dipole and van der Waals interactions. This effective model appears to offer a way to envision the essential quantum disordered nonequilibrium physics of this system.

Preparation of a high concentration of lithium-7 atoms in a magneto-optical trap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zelener, B. B., E-mail: bobozel@mail.ru; Saakyan, S. A.; Sautenkov, V. A.

2014-11-15

This study is aimed at obtaining high concentration of optically cooled lithium-7 atoms for preparing strongly interacting ultracold plasma and Rydberg matter. A special setup has been constructed, in which two high-power semiconductor lasers are used to cool lithium-7 atoms in a magneto-optical trap. At an optimum detuning of the cooling laser frequency and a magnetic field gradient of 35 G/cm, the concentration of ultracold lithium-7 atoms reaches about 10{sup 11} cm{sup −3}. Additional independent information about the concentration and number of ultracold lithium-7 atoms on different sublevels of the ground state was obtained by using of an additional probingmore » laser.« less

High-fidelity cluster state generation for ultracold atoms in an optical lattice.

PubMed

Inaba, Kensuke; Tokunaga, Yuuki; Tamaki, Kiyoshi; Igeta, Kazuhiro; Yamashita, Makoto

2014-03-21

We propose a method for generating high-fidelity multipartite spin entanglement of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice in a short operation time with a scalable manner, which is suitable for measurement-based quantum computation. To perform the desired operations based on the perturbative spin-spin interactions, we propose to actively utilize the extra degrees of freedom (DOFs) usually neglected in the perturbative treatment but included in the Hubbard Hamiltonian of atoms, such as, (pseudo-)charge and orbital DOFs. Our method simultaneously achieves high fidelity, short operation time, and scalability by overcoming the following fundamental problem: enhancing the interaction strength for shortening the operation time breaks the perturbative condition of the interaction and inevitably induces unwanted correlations among the spin and extra DOFs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seestrom, Susan Joyce; Adamek, Evan R.; Barlow, Dave

Here, we have followed up on our previous measurements of upscattering of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) from a series of gases by making measurements of total cross sections on the following gases hydrogen, ethane, methane, isobutene, n-butane, ethylene, water vapor, propane, neopentane, isopropyl alcohol, and 3He. The values of these cross sections are important for estimating the loss rate of trapped neutrons due to residual gas and are relevant to neutron lifetime measurements using UCNs. The effects of the UCN velocity and path-length distributions were accounted for in the analysis using a Monte Carlo transport code. Results are compared to ourmore » previous measurements and with the known absorption cross section for 3He scaled to our UCN energy. We find that the total cross sections for the hydrocarbon gases are reasonably described by a function linear in the number of hydrogen atoms in the molecule.« less

Correlations and enlarged superconducting phase of t -J⊥ chains of ultracold molecules on optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manmana, Salvatore R.; Möller, Marcel; Gezzi, Riccardo; Hazzard, Kaden R. A.

2017-10-01

We compute physical properties across the phase diagram of the t -J⊥ chain with long-range dipolar interactions, which describe ultracold polar molecules on optical lattices. Our results obtained by the density-matrix renormalization group indicate that superconductivity is enhanced when the Ising component Jz of the spin-spin interaction and the charge component V are tuned to zero and even further by the long-range dipolar interactions. At low densities, a substantially larger spin gap is obtained. We provide evidence that long-range interactions lead to algebraically decaying correlation functions despite the presence of a gap. Although this has recently been observed in other long-range interacting spin and fermion models, the correlations in our case have the peculiar property of having a small and continuously varying exponent. We construct simple analytic models and arguments to understand the most salient features.

Topological phases in the Haldane model with spin–spin on-site interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubio-García, A.; García-Ripoll, J. J.

2018-04-01

Ultracold atom experiments allow the study of topological insulators, such as the non-interacting Haldane model. In this work we study a generalization of the Haldane model with spin–spin on-site interactions that can be implemented on such experiments. We focus on measuring the winding number, a topological invariant, of the ground state, which we compute using a mean-field calculation that effectively captures long-range correlations and a matrix product state computation in a lattice with 64 sites. Our main result is that we show how the topological phases present in the non-interacting model survive until the interactions are comparable to the kinetic energy. We also demonstrate the accuracy of our mean-field approach in efficiently capturing long-range correlations. Based on state-of-the-art ultracold atom experiments, we propose an implementation of our model that can give information about the topological phases.

Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Czarnecki, Andrzej; Marciano, William J.; Sirlin, Alberto

Here, experimental studies of neutron decay, n→pe¯ν, exhibit two anomalies. The first is a 8.6(2.1) s, roughly 4σ difference between the average beam measured neutron lifetime, τ beam n = 888.0(2.0) s, and the more precise average trapped ultracold neutron determination, τ trap n = 879.4(6) s. The second is a 5σ difference between the pre2002 average axial coupling, gA, as measured in neutron decay asymmetries g pre2002 A = 1.2637(21), and the more recent, post2002, average g post2002 A = 1.2755(11), where, following the UCNA Collaboration division, experiments are classified by the date of their most recent result. Inmore » this Letter, we correlate those τ n and g A values using a (slightly) updated relation τ n(1+3g 2 A) = 5172.0(1.1) s. Consistency with that relation and better precision suggest τ favored n = 879.4(6) s and g favored A = 1.2755(11) as preferred values for those parameters. Comparisons of g favored A with recent lattice QCD and muonic hydrogen capture results are made. A general constraint on exotic neutron decay branching ratios, <0.27%, is discussed and applied to a recently proposed solution to the neutron lifetime puzzle.« less

Position-sensitive ``movie'' in situ neutron detector for the UCN τ experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Hannah; UCNTau Collaboration

2016-09-01

Precision measurements of neutron β-decay parameters provide tests of fundamental theories in elementary particle physics and cosmology such as the Standard Model and Big Bang nucleosynthesis. In particular, the UCN τ experiment aims to measure the mean lifetime of ultracold neutrons confined in an asymmetric magneto-gravitational trap using an in situ neutron detector. This detector consists of a 20 nm film of 10B on top of a ZnS:Ag scintillating screen. The screen is readout using two photomultipliers which view an array of wavelength shifting fibers optically coupled to the scintillator. When the detector is lowered into the loaded trap, light is emitted due to the charged particles recoiling into the ZnS:Ag when neutrons absorb on the 10B. Phase space evolution in the stored neutron population can lead to apparent shifts in the measured neutron lifetime with the detector height. In order to quantify this systematic uncertainty, we are implementing a supplemental 64-channel position-sensitive PMT module with high quantum efficiency and fast time response to image the entire detector in situ during measurements. We have characterized a prototype using a ZnS screen and an α-particle source along with a prototype lens system and will report the results and future plans.

Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection

DOE PAGES

Czarnecki, Andrzej; Marciano, William J.; Sirlin, Alberto

2018-05-16

Here, experimental studies of neutron decay, n→pe¯ν, exhibit two anomalies. The first is a 8.6(2.1) s, roughly 4σ difference between the average beam measured neutron lifetime, τ beam n = 888.0(2.0) s, and the more precise average trapped ultracold neutron determination, τ trap n = 879.4(6) s. The second is a 5σ difference between the pre2002 average axial coupling, gA, as measured in neutron decay asymmetries g pre2002 A = 1.2637(21), and the more recent, post2002, average g post2002 A = 1.2755(11), where, following the UCNA Collaboration division, experiments are classified by the date of their most recent result. Inmore » this Letter, we correlate those τ n and g A values using a (slightly) updated relation τ n(1+3g 2 A) = 5172.0(1.1) s. Consistency with that relation and better precision suggest τ favored n = 879.4(6) s and g favored A = 1.2755(11) as preferred values for those parameters. Comparisons of g favored A with recent lattice QCD and muonic hydrogen capture results are made. A general constraint on exotic neutron decay branching ratios, <0.27%, is discussed and applied to a recently proposed solution to the neutron lifetime puzzle.« less

Quantum physics: Interactions propel a magnetic dance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leblanc, Lindsay J.

2017-06-01

A combination of leading-edge techniques has enabled interaction-induced magnetic motion to be observed for pairs of ultracold atoms -- a breakthrough in the development of models of complex quantum behaviour. See Letter p.519

Strong Photoassociation in Ultracold Fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Li; Jamison, Alan; Rvachov, Timur; Ebadi, Sepher; Son, Hyungmok; Jiang, Yijun; Zwierlein, Martin; Ketterle, Wolfgang

2016-05-01

Despite many studies there are still open questions about strong photoassociation in ultracold gases. Photoassociation occurs only at short range and thus can be used as a tool to probe and control the two-body correlation function in an interacting many-body system and to engineer Hamiltonians using dissipation. We propose the possibility to slow down decoherence by photoassociation through the quantum Zeno effect. This can realized by shining strong photoassociation light on the superposition of the lowest two hyperfine states of Lithium 6. NSF, ARO-MURI, Samsung, NSERC.

Spin relaxation in ultracold collisions of molecular radicals with alkali-metal atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tscherbul, Timur; Klos, Jacek; Zukowski, Piotr

2016-05-01

We present accurate quantum scattering calculations of spin relaxation in ultracold collisions of alkali-metal atoms and polar 2 Σ molecules CaH, SrF, and SrOH. The calculations employ state-of-the-art ab initio interaction potentials and a rigorous quantum theory of atom-molecule collisions in a magnetic field based on the total angular momentum representation. We will further discuss the relevance of the results to atom-molecule sympathetic cooling experiments in a magnetic trap.

Closed-channel contribution in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of an ultracold Fermi gas with an orbital Feshbach resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, S.; Inotani, D.; Ohashi, Y.

2018-03-01

We theoretically investigate strong-coupling properties of an ultracold Fermi gas with an orbital Feshbach resonance (OFR). Including tunable pairing interaction associated with an OFR within the framework of the strong-coupling theory developed by Nozières and Schmitt-Rink (NSR), we examine the occupation of the closed channel. We show that, although the importance of the closed channel is characteristic of the system with an OFR, the occupation number of the closed channel is found to actually be very small at the superfluid phase transition temperature T c, in the whole BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer)-BEC (Bose-Einstein condensation) crossover region, when we use the scattering parameters for an ultracold 173Yb Fermi gas. The occupation of the closed channel increases with increasing the temperature above T c, which is more remarkable for a stronger pairing interaction. We also present a prescription to remove effects of an experimentally inaccessible deep bound state from the NSR formalism, which we meet when we theoretically deal with a 173Yb Fermi gas with an OFR.

Rydberg Molecules for Ion-Atom Scattering in the Ultracold Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, T.; Veit, C.; Zuber, N.; Löw, R.; Pfau, T.; Tarana, M.; Tomza, M.

2018-04-01

We propose a novel experimental method to extend the investigation of ion-atom collisions from the so far studied cold, essentially classical regime to the ultracold, quantum regime. The key aspect of this method is the use of Rydberg molecules to initialize the ultracold ion-atom scattering event. We exemplify the proposed method with the lithium ion-atom system, for which we present simulations of how the initial Rydberg molecule wave function, freed by photoionization, evolves in the presence of the ion-atom scattering potential. We predict bounds for the ion-atom scattering length from ab initio calculations of the interaction potential. We demonstrate that, in the predicted bounds, the scattering length can be experimentally determined from the velocity of the scattered wave packet in the case of 6Li+ = 6Li and from the molecular ion fraction in the case of 7Li+ - 7Li. The proposed method to utilize Rydberg molecules for ultracold ion-atom scattering, here particularized for the lithium ion-atom system, is readily applicable to other ion-atom systems as well.

Creation of a strongly dipolar gas of ultracold ground-state 23 Na87 Rb molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Mingyang; Zhu, Bing; Lu, Bo; Ye, Xin; Wang, Fudong; Wang, Dajun; Vexiau, Romain; Bouloufa-Maafa, Nadia; Quéméner, Goulven; Dulieu, Olivier

2016-05-01

We report on successful creation of an ultracold sample of ground-state 23 Na87 Rb molecules with a large effective electric dipole moment. Through a carefully designed two-photon Raman process, we have successfully transferred the magneto-associated Feshbach molecules to the singlet ground state with high efficiency, obtaining up to 8000 23 Na87 Rb molecules with peak number density over 1011 cm-3 in their absolute ground-state level. With an external electric field, we have induced an effective dipole moment over 1 Debye, making 23 Na87 Rb the most dipolar ultracold particle ever achieved. Contrary to the expectation, we observed a rather fast population loss even for 23 Na87 Rb in the absolute ground state with the bi-molecular exchange reaction energetically forbidden. The origin for the short lifetime and possible ways of mitigating it are currently under investigation. Our achievements pave the way toward investigation of ultracold bosonic molecules with strong dipolar interactions. This work is supported by the Hong Kong RGC CUHK404712 and the ANR/RGC Joint Research Scheme ACUHK403/13.

Rydberg Molecules for Ion-Atom Scattering in the Ultracold Regime.

PubMed

Schmid, T; Veit, C; Zuber, N; Löw, R; Pfau, T; Tarana, M; Tomza, M

2018-04-13

We propose a novel experimental method to extend the investigation of ion-atom collisions from the so far studied cold, essentially classical regime to the ultracold, quantum regime. The key aspect of this method is the use of Rydberg molecules to initialize the ultracold ion-atom scattering event. We exemplify the proposed method with the lithium ion-atom system, for which we present simulations of how the initial Rydberg molecule wave function, freed by photoionization, evolves in the presence of the ion-atom scattering potential. We predict bounds for the ion-atom scattering length from ab initio calculations of the interaction potential. We demonstrate that, in the predicted bounds, the scattering length can be experimentally determined from the velocity of the scattered wave packet in the case of ^{6}Li^{+}-^{6}Li and from the molecular ion fraction in the case of ^{7}Li^{+}-^{7}Li. The proposed method to utilize Rydberg molecules for ultracold ion-atom scattering, here particularized for the lithium ion-atom system, is readily applicable to other ion-atom systems as well.

An apparatus for immersing trapped ions into an ultracold gas of neutral atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Stefan; Härter, Arne; Frisch, Albert; Hoinka, Sascha; Denschlag, Johannes Hecker

2012-05-01

We describe a hybrid vacuum system in which a single ion or a well-defined small number of trapped ions (in our case Ba+ or Rb+) can be immersed into a cloud of ultracold neutral atoms (in our case Rb). This apparatus allows for the study of collisions and interactions between atoms and ions in the ultracold regime. Our setup is a combination of a Bose-Einstein condensation apparatus and a linear Paul trap. The main design feature of the apparatus is to first separate the production locations for the ion and the ultracold atoms and then to bring the two species together. This scheme has advantages in terms of stability and available access to the region where the atom-ion collision experiments are carried out. The ion and the atoms are brought together using a moving one-dimensional optical lattice transport which vertically lifts the atomic sample over a distance of 30 cm from its production chamber into the center of the Paul trap in another chamber. We present techniques to detect and control the relative position between the ion and the atom cloud.

Superfluid drag in the two-component Bose-Hubbard model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sellin, Karl; Babaev, Egor

2018-03-01

In multicomponent superfluids and superconductors, co- and counterflows of components have, in general, different properties. A. F. Andreev and E. P. Bashkin [Sov. Phys. JETP 42, 164 (1975)] discussed, in the context of He3/He4 superfluid mixtures, that interparticle interactions produce a dissipationless drag. The drag can be understood as a superflow of one component induced by phase gradients of the other component. Importantly, the drag can be both positive (entrainment) and negative (counterflow). The effect is known to have crucial importance for many properties of diverse physical systems ranging from the dynamics of neutron stars and rotational responses of Bose mixtures of ultracold atoms to magnetic responses of multicomponent superconductors. Although substantial literature exists that includes the drag interaction phenomenologically, only a few regimes are covered by quantitative studies of the microscopic origin of the drag and its dependence on microscopic parameters. Here we study the microscopic origin and strength of the drag interaction in a quantum system of two-component bosons on a lattice with short-range interaction. By performing quantum Monte Carlo simulations of a two-component Bose-Hubbard model we obtain dependencies of the drag strength on the boson-boson interactions and properties of the optical lattice. Of particular interest are the strongly correlated regimes where the ratio of coflow and counterflow superfluid stiffnesses can diverge, corresponding to the case of saturated drag.

Measurement of Systematic effects in the UCN τ neutron lifetime experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callahan, Nathan; UCNtau Collaboration

2017-09-01

The UCN τ experiment at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCe) measures the neutron β decay lifetime (τn) by trapping Ultracold Neutrons (UCN) in a magneto-gravitational trap. UCN are confined from below by magnetic fields and above by gravity. UCN are loaded into the trap, held for times on the order of τn, and counted. Several systematic effects can potentially shift the measured τn including heating and other losses of UCN during storage, insufficient removal of UCN with energies above the traping potential, and phase space evolution of UCN during storage which can cause changes in detection efficiency. The UCN τ collaboration has put limits on these systematic effects via measurements in the 2016-2017 run cycle at LANSCE. For the first two effects, a limit is placed by searching for high-energy UCN at the end of storage. A limit is placed on the effects of phase space evolution by comparing arrival time distributions for UCN under different conditions. Data from the 2016-2017 run cycle and systematic limits derived from it will be discussed.

Effects of mode profile on tunneling and traversal of ultracold atoms through vacuum-induced potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badshah, Fazal; Irfan, Muhammad; Qamar, Sajid; Qamar, Shahid

2016-04-01

We consider the resonant interaction of an ultracold two-level atom with an electromagnetic field inside a high-Q micromaser cavity. In particular, we study the tunneling and traversal of ultracold atoms through vacuum-induced potentials for secant hyperbolic square and sinusoidal cavity mode functions. The phase time which may be considered as an appropriate measure of the time required for the atoms to cross the cavity, significantly modifies with the change of cavity mode profile. For example, switching between the sub and superclassical behaviors in phase time can occur due to the mode function. Similarly, negative phase time appears for the transmission of the two-level atoms in both excited and ground states for secant hyperbolic square mode function which is in contrast to the mesa mode case.

Measuring the dynamic structure factor of a quantum gas undergoing a structural phase transition

PubMed Central

Landig, Renate; Brennecke, Ferdinand; Mottl, Rafael; Donner, Tobias; Esslinger, Tilman

2015-01-01

The dynamic structure factor is a central quantity describing the physics of quantum many-body systems, capturing structure and collective excitations of a material. In condensed matter, it can be measured via inelastic neutron scattering, which is an energy-resolving probe for the density fluctuations. In ultracold atoms, a similar approach could so far not be applied because of the diluteness of the system. Here we report on a direct, real-time and nondestructive measurement of the dynamic structure factor of a quantum gas exhibiting cavity-mediated long-range interactions. The technique relies on inelastic scattering of photons, stimulated by the enhanced vacuum field inside a high finesse optical cavity. We extract the density fluctuations, their energy and lifetime while the system undergoes a structural phase transition. We observe an occupation of the relevant quasi-particle mode on the level of a few excitations, and provide a theoretical description of this dissipative quantum many-body system. PMID:25944151

Cooling without contact in bilayer dipolar Fermi gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanatar, Bilal; Renklioglu, Basak; Oktel, M. Ozgur

2016-05-01

We consider two parallel layers of dipolar ultracold Fermi gases at different temperatures and calculate the heat transfer between them. The effective interactions describing screening and correlation effects between the dipoles in a single layer are modelled within the Euler-Lagrange Fermi-hypernetted chain approximation. The random-phase approximation is employed for the interactions across the layers. We investigate the amount of transferred power between the layers as a function of the temperature difference. Energy transfer proceeds via the long-range dipole-dipole interactions. A simple thermal model is developed to investigate the feasibility of using the contactless sympathetic cooling of the ultracold polar atoms/molecules. Our calculations indicate that dipolar heat transfer is effective for typical polar molecule experiments and may be utilized as a cooling process. Supported by TUBA and TUBITAK (112T974).

Observation of two-orbital spin-exchange interactions with ultracold SU(N)-symmetric fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scazza, F.; Hofrichter, C.; Höfer, M.; de Groot, P. C.; Bloch, I.; Fölling, S.

2014-10-01

Spin-exchanging interactions govern the properties of strongly correlated electron systems such as many magnetic materials. When orbital degrees of freedom are present, spin exchange between different orbitals often dominates, leading to the Kondo effect, heavy fermion behaviour or magnetic ordering. Ultracold ytterbium or alkaline-earth ensembles have attracted much recent interest as model systems for these effects, with two (meta-) stable electronic configurations representing independent orbitals. We report the observation of spin-exchanging contact interactions in a two-orbital SU(N)-symmetric quantum gas realized with fermionic 173Yb. We find strong inter-orbital spin exchange by spectroscopic characterization of all interaction channels and demonstrate SU(N = 6) symmetry within our measurement precision. The spin-exchange process is also directly observed through the dynamic equilibration of spin imbalances between ensembles in separate orbitals. The realization of an SU(N)-symmetric two-orbital Hubbard Hamiltonian opens the route to quantum simulations with extended symmetries and with orbital magnetic interactions, such as the Kondo lattice model.

Los Alamos nEDM Experiment and Demonstration of Ramsey's Method on Stored UCNs at the LANL UCN Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, Steven; Chupp, Tim; Cude-Woods, Christopher; Currie, Scott; Ito, Takeyasu; Liu, Chen-Yu; Long, Joshua; MacDonald, Stephen; Makela, Mark; O'Shaughnessy, Christopher; Plaster, Brad; Ramsey, John; Saunders, Andy; LANL nEDM Collaboration

2017-09-01

The Los Alamos National Laboratory ultracold neutron (UCN) source was recently upgraded for a factor of 5 improvement in stored density, providing the statistical precision needed for a room temperature neutron electric dipole moment measurement with sensitivity 3 ×10-27 e . cm, a factor 10 better than the limit set by the Sussex-RAL-ILL experiment. Here, we show results of a demonstration of Ramsey's separated oscillatory fields method on stored UCNs at the LANL UCN source and in a geometry relevant for a nEDM measurement. We argue a world-leading nEDM experiment could be performed at LANL with existing technology and a short lead time, providing a physics result with sensitivity intermediate between the current limit set by Sussex-RAL-ILL, and the anticipated limit from the complex, cryogenic nEDM experiment planned for the next decade at the ORNL Spallation Neutron Source (SNS-nEDM). This work was supported by the Los Alamos LDRD Program, Project 20140015DR.

Transfer coefficients in ultracold strongly coupled plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobrov, A. A.; Vorob'ev, V. S.; Zelener, B. V.

2018-03-01

We use both analytical and molecular dynamic methods for electron transfer coefficients in an ultracold plasma when its temperature is small and the coupling parameter characterizing the interaction of electrons and ions exceeds unity. For these conditions, we use the approach of nearest neighbor to determine the average electron (ion) diffusion coefficient and to calculate other electron transfer coefficients (viscosity and electrical and thermal conductivities). Molecular dynamics simulations produce electronic and ionic diffusion coefficients, confirming the reliability of these results. The results compare favorably with experimental and numerical data from earlier studies.

The Coldest Place in the Universe: Probing the Ultra-cold Outflow and Dusty Disk in the Boomerang Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahai, R.; Vlemmings, W. H. T.; Nyman, L.-Å.

2017-06-01

Our Cycle 0 ALMA observations confirmed that the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest known object in the universe, with a massive high-speed outflow that has cooled significantly below the cosmic background temperature. Our new CO 1-0 data reveal heretofore unseen distant regions of this ultra-cold outflow, out to ≳120,000 au. We find that in the ultra-cold outflow, the mass-loss rate (\\dot{M}) increases with radius, similar to its expansion velocity (V)—taking V\\propto r, we find \\dot{M}\\propto {r}0.9{--2.2}. The mass in the ultra-cold outflow is ≳ 3.3 M ⊙, and the Boomerang’s main-sequence progenitor mass is ≳ 4 M ⊙. Our high angular resolution (˜ 0\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 3) CO J = 3-2 map shows the inner bipolar nebula’s precise, highly collimated shape, and a dense central waist of size (FWHM) ˜1740 au × 275 au. The molecular gas and the dust as seen in scattered light via optical Hubble Space Telescope imaging show a detailed correspondence. The waist shows a compact core in thermal dust emission at 0.87-3.3 mm, which harbors (4{--}7)× {10}-4 M ⊙ of very large (˜millimeter-to-centimeter sized), cold (˜ 20{--}30 K) grains. The central waist (assuming its outer regions to be expanding) and fast bipolar outflow have expansion ages of ≲ 1925 {years} and ≤slant 1050 {years}: the “jet-lag” (I.e., torus age minus the fast-outflow age) in the Boomerang supports models in which the primary star interacts directly with a binary companion. We argue that this interaction resulted in a common-envelope configuration, while the Boomerang’s primary was an RGB or early-AGB star, with the companion finally merging into the primary’s core, and ejecting the primary’s envelope that now forms the ultra-cold outflow.

Analytical Wave Functions for Ultracold Collisions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavagnero, M. J.

1998-05-01

Secular perturbation theory of long-range interactions(M. J. Cavagnero, PRA 50) 2841, (1994). has been generalized to yield accurate wave functions for near threshold processes, including low-energy scattering processes of interest at ultracold temperatures. In particular, solutions of Schrödinger's equation have been obtained for motion in the combined r-6, r-8, and r-10 potentials appropriate for describing an utlracold collision of two neutral ground state atoms. Scattering lengths and effective ranges appropriate to such potentials are readily calculated at distances comparable to the LeRoy radius, where exchange forces can be neglected, thereby eliminating the need to integrate Schrödinger's equation to large internuclear distances. Our method yields accurate base pair solutions well beyond the energy range of effective range theories, making possible the application of multichannel quantum defect theory [MQDT] and R-matrix methods to the study of ultracold collisions.

Above-threshold scattering about a Feshbach resonance for ultracold atoms in an optical collider.

PubMed

Horvath, Milena S J; Thomas, Ryan; Tiesinga, Eite; Deb, Amita B; Kjærgaard, Niels

2017-09-06

Ultracold atomic gases have realized numerous paradigms of condensed matter physics, where control over interactions has crucially been afforded by tunable Feshbach resonances. So far, the characterization of these Feshbach resonances has almost exclusively relied on experiments in the threshold regime near zero energy. Here, we use a laser-based collider to probe a narrow magnetic Feshbach resonance of rubidium above threshold. By measuring the overall atomic loss from colliding clouds as a function of magnetic field, we track the energy-dependent resonance position. At higher energy, our collider scheme broadens the loss feature, making the identification of the narrow resonance challenging. However, we observe that the collisions give rise to shifts in the center-of-mass positions of outgoing clouds. The shifts cross zero at the resonance and this allows us to accurately determine its location well above threshold. Our inferred resonance positions are in excellent agreement with theory.Studies on energy-dependent scattering of ultracold atoms were previously carried out near zero collision energies. Here, the authors observe a magnetic Feshbach resonance in ultracold Rb collisions for above-threshold energies and their method can also be used to detect higher partial wave resonances.

Quantum Reactive Scattering of Ultracold K+KRb Reaction: Universality and Chaotic Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croft, J. F. E.; Makrides, C.; Li, M.; Petrov, A.; Kendrick, B. K.; Balakrishnan, N.; Kotochigova, S.

2017-04-01

A fundamental question in the study of chemical reactions is how reactions proceed at a collision energy close to absolute zero. This question is no longer hypothetical: quantum degenerate gases of atoms and molecules can now be created at temperatures lower than a few tens of nanoKelvin. In this talk, we discuss the benchmark ultracold reaction between, the most-celebrated ultracold molecule, KRb and K. We report numerically exact quantum-mechanical calculations of the K+KRb reaction on an accurate ab initio ground state potential energy surface of the K2Rb system and compare our results with available experimental data and predictions of universal models. The role of non-additive three-body contributions to the interaction potential is examined and is found to be small for the total reaction rates. However, the rotationally resolved rate coefficients are shown to be sensitive to the short-range interaction potential and follow a Poissonian distribution. This work was supported in part by NSF Grants PHY-1505557 (N.B.), PHY-1619788 (S.K.), ARO MURI Grant No. W911NF-12-1-0476 (N.B. & S.K.), and DOE LDRD Grant No. 20170221ER (B.K.).

SU(3) Orbital Kondo Effect with Ultracold Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishida, Yusuke

2013-09-01

We propose a simple but novel scheme to realize the Kondo effect with ultracold atoms. Our system consists of a Fermi sea of spinless fermions interacting with an impurity atom of different species which is confined by an isotropic potential. The interspecies attraction can be tuned with an s-wave Feshbach resonance so that the impurity atom and a spinless fermion form a bound dimer that occupies a threefold-degenerate p orbital of the confinement potential. Many-body scatterings of this dimer and surrounding spinless fermions occur with exchanging their angular momenta and thus exhibit the SU(3) orbital Kondo effect. The associated Kondo temperature has a universal leading exponent given by TK∝exp⁡[-π/(3apkF3)] that depends only on an effective p-wave scattering volume ap and a Fermi wave vector kF. We also elucidate a Kondo singlet formation at zero temperature and an anisotropic interdimer interaction mediated by surrounding spinless fermions. The Kondo effect thus realized in ultracold atom experiments may be observed as an increasing atom loss by lowering the temperature or with radio-frequency spectroscopy. Our scheme and its extension to a dense Kondo lattice will be useful to develop new insights into yet unresolved aspects of Kondo physics.

Evidence of Antiblockade in an Ultracold Rydberg Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amthor, Thomas; Giese, Christian; Hofmann, Christoph S.; Weidemüller, Matthias

2010-01-01

We present the experimental observation of the antiblockade in an ultracold Rydberg gas recently proposed by Ates et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 023002 (2007)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.98.023002]. Our approach allows the control of the pair distribution in the gas and is based on a strong coupling of one transition in an atomic three-level system, while introducing specific detunings of the other transition. When the coupling energy matches the interaction energy of the Rydberg long-range interactions, the otherwise blocked excitation of close pairs becomes possible. A time-resolved spectroscopic measurement of the Penning ionization signal is used to identify slight variations in the Rydberg pair distribution of a random arrangement of atoms. A model based on a pair interaction Hamiltonian is presented which well reproduces our experimental observations and allows one to deduce the distribution of nearest-neighbor distances.

Interaction-induced conducting-non-conducting transition of ultra-cold atoms in one-dimensional optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, Chih-Chun; Gruss, Daniel; Di Ventra, Massimiliano; Zwolak, Michael

2013-06-01

The study of time-dependent, many-body transport phenomena is increasingly within reach of ultra-cold atom experiments. We show that the introduction of spatially inhomogeneous interactions, e.g., generated by optically controlled collisions, induce negative differential conductance in the transport of atoms in one-dimensional optical lattices. Specifically, we simulate the dynamics of interacting fermionic atoms via a micro-canonical transport formalism within both a mean-field and a higher-order approximation, as well as with a time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG). For weakly repulsive interactions, a quasi-steady-state atomic current develops that is similar to the situation occurring for electronic systems subject to an external voltage bias. At the mean-field level, we find that this atomic current is robust against the details of how the interaction is switched on. Further, a conducting-non-conducting transition exists when the interaction imbalance exceeds some threshold from both our approximate and time-dependent DMRG simulations. This transition is preceded by the atomic equivalent of negative differential conductivity observed in transport across solid-state structures.

Radio-Frequency-Controlled Cold Collisions and Universal Properties of Unitary Bose Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Yijue

This thesis investigates two topics: ultracold atomic collisions in a radio-frequency field and universal properties of a degenerate unitary Bose gas. One interesting point of the unitary Bose gas is that the system has only one length scale, that is, the average interparticle distance. This single parameter determines all properties of the gas, which is called the universality of the system. We first introduce a renormalized contact interaction to extend the validity of the zero-range interaction to large scattering lengths. Then this renormalized interaction is applied to many-body theories to determined those universal relations of the system. From the few-body perspective, we discuss the scattering between atoms in a single-color radio-frequency field. Our motivation is proposing the radio-frequency field as an effective tool to control interactions between cold atoms. Such a technique may be useful in future experiments such as creating phase transitions in spinor condensates. We also discuss the formation of ultracold molecules using radio-freqency fields from a time-dependent approach.

Ultracold-atom quantum simulator for attosecond science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sala, Simon; Förster, Johann; Saenz, Alejandro

2017-01-01

A quantum simulator based on ultracold optically trapped atoms for simulating the physics of atoms and molecules in ultrashort intense laser fields is introduced. The slowing down by about 13 orders of magnitude allows one to watch in slow motion the tunneling and recollision processes that form the heart of attosecond science. The extreme flexibility of the simulator promises a deeper understanding of strong-field physics, especially for many-body systems beyond the reach of classical computers. The quantum simulator can experimentally straightforwardly be realized and is shown to recover the ionization characteristics of atoms in the different regimes of laser-matter interaction.

Study of Charge Build Up in UCN Storage Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broering, Mark; Abney, Josh; Swank, Christopher; Filippone, Bradley; Yao, Weijun; Korsch, Wolfgang

2017-09-01

The neutron EDM collaboration at the Spallation Neutron Source(ORNL) is using ultra-cold neutrons in superfluid helium to improve the nEDM limit by about two orders of magnitude. These neutrons will be stored in target cells located in a strong, stable electric field. Local radiation will generate charged particles which may build up on the target cell walls reducing field strength over time. The field changes need to be kept below 1%, making it necessary to study this cell charging behavior, determine its effect on the experiment and find ways to mitigate this. In order to study this cell charging effect, a compact test setup was designed. Using this scaled down model, charged particles are generated by a 137Cs source and the electric field is monitored via the electo-optic Kerr effect. Liquid nitrogen has a much stronger response to electric fields than helium, making it an ideal candidate for first tests. Cell charging effects have been observed in liquid nitrogen. These results along with the experimental technique and progress toward a superfluid helium measurement will also be presented. This research is supported by DOE Grants: DE-FG02-99ER41101, DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Comparing Simulated and Experimental Data from UCN τ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Dezrick; Holley, Adam

2017-09-01

The UCN τ experiment is designed to measure the average lifetime of a free neutron (τn) by trapping ultracold neutrons (UCN) in a magneto-gravitational trap and allowing them to β-decay, with the ultimate goal of minimizing the uncertainty to approximately 0.01% (0.1 s). Understanding the systematics of the experiment at the level necessary to reach this high precision may help to better understand the disparity between measurements from cold neutron beam and UCN bottle experiments (τn 888 s and τn 878 s, respectively). To assist in evaluating systemics that might conceivably contribute at this level, a neutron spin-tracking Monte Carlo simulation, which models a UCN population's behavior throughout a run, is currently under development. The simulation will utilize an empirical map of the magnetic field in the trap (see poster by K. Hoffman) by interpolating the field between measured points (see poster by J. Felkins) in order to model the depolarization mechanism with high fidelity. As a preliminary step, I have checked that the Monte Carlo model can reasonably reproduce the observed behavior of the experiment. In particular, I will present a comparison between simulated data and data acquired from the 2016-2017 UCN τ run cycle.

Many-body physics using cold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundar, Bhuvanesh

Advances in experiments on dilute ultracold atomic gases have given us access to highly tunable quantum systems. In particular, there have been substantial improvements in achieving different kinds of interaction between atoms. As a result, utracold atomic gases oer an ideal platform to simulate many-body phenomena in condensed matter physics, and engineer other novel phenomena that are a result of the exotic interactions produced between atoms. In this dissertation, I present a series of studies that explore the physics of dilute ultracold atomic gases in different settings. In each setting, I explore a different form of the inter-particle interaction. Motivated by experiments which induce artificial spin-orbit coupling for cold fermions, I explore this system in my first project. In this project, I propose a method to perform universal quantum computation using the excitations of interacting spin-orbit coupled fermions, in which effective p-wave interactions lead to the formation of a topological superfluid. Motivated by experiments which explore the physics of exotic interactions between atoms trapped inside optical cavities, I explore this system in a second project. I calculate the phase diagram of lattice bosons trapped in an optical cavity, where the cavity modes mediates effective global range checkerboard interactions between the atoms. I compare this phase diagram with one that was recently measured experimentally. In two other projects, I explore quantum simulation of condensed matter phenomena due to spin-dependent interactions between particles. I propose a method to produce tunable spin-dependent interactions between atoms, using an optical Feshbach resonance. In one project, I use these spin-dependent interactions in an ultracold Bose-Fermi system, and propose a method to produce the Kondo model. I propose an experiment to directly observe the Kondo effect in this system. In another project, I propose using lattice bosons with a large hyperfine spin, which have Feshbach-induced spin-dependent interactions, to produce a quantum dimer model. I propose an experiment to detect the ground state in this system. In a final project, I develop tools to simulate the dynamics of fermionic superfluids in which fermions interact via a short-range interaction.

Diffusion of Magnetized Binary Ionic Mixtures at Ultracold Plasma Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidal, Keith R.; Baalrud, Scott D.

2017-10-01

Ultracold plasma experiments offer an accessible means to test transport theories for strongly coupled systems. Application of an external magnetic field might further increase their utility by inhibiting heating mechanisms of ions and electrons and increasing the temperature at which strong coupling effects are observed. We present results focused on developing and validating a transport theory to describe binary ionic mixtures across a wide range of coupling and magnetization strengths relevant to ultracold plasma experiments. The transport theory is an extension of the Effective Potential Theory (EPT), which has been shown to accurately model correlation effects at these conditions, to include magnetization. We focus on diffusion as it can be measured in ultracold plasma experiments. Using EPT within the framework of the Chapman-Enskog expansion, the parallel and perpendicular self and interdiffusion coefficients for binary ionic mixtures with varying mass ratios are calculated and are compared to molecular dynamics simulations. The theory is found to accurately extend Braginskii-like transport to stronger coupling, but to break down when the magnetization strength becomes large enough that the typical gyroradius is smaller than the interaction scale length. This material is based upon work supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Award Number FA9550-16-1-0221.

The BCS-BEC crossover: From ultra-cold Fermi gases to nuclear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strinati, Giancarlo Calvanese; Pieri, Pierbiagio; Röpke, Gerd; Schuck, Peter; Urban, Michael

2018-04-01

This report addresses topics and questions of common interest in the fields of ultra-cold gases and nuclear physics in the context of the BCS-BEC crossover. By this crossover, the phenomena of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluidity and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), which share the same kind of spontaneous symmetry breaking, are smoothly connected through the progressive reduction of the size of the fermion pairs involved as the fundamental entities in both phenomena. This size ranges, from large values when Cooper pairs are strongly overlapping in the BCS limit of a weak inter-particle attraction, to small values when composite bosons are non-overlapping in the BEC limit of a strong inter-particle attraction, across the intermediate unitarity limit where the size of the pairs is comparable with the average inter-particle distance. The BCS-BEC crossover has recently been realized experimentally, and essentially in all of its aspects, with ultra-cold Fermi gases. This realization, in turn, has raised the interest of the nuclear physics community in the crossover problem, since it represents an unprecedented tool to test fundamental and unanswered questions of nuclear many-body theory. Here, we focus on the several aspects of the BCS-BEC crossover, which are of broad joint interest to both ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter, and which will likely help to solve in the future some open problems in nuclear physics (concerning, for instance, neutron stars). Similarities and differences occurring in ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter will then be emphasized, not only about the relative phenomenologies but also about the theoretical approaches to be used in the two contexts. Common to both contexts is the fact that at zero temperature the BCS-BEC crossover can be described at the mean-field level with reasonable accuracy. At finite temperature, on the other hand, inclusion of pairing fluctuations beyond mean field represents an essential ingredient of the theory, especially in the normal phase where they account for precursor pairing effects. After an introduction to present the key concepts of the BCS-BEC crossover, this report discusses the mean-field treatment of the superfluid phase, both for homogeneous and inhomogeneous systems, as well as for symmetric (spin- or isospin-balanced) and asymmetric (spin- or isospin-imbalanced) matter. Pairing fluctuations in the normal phase are then considered, with their manifestations in thermodynamic and dynamic quantities. The last two Sections provide a more specialized discussion of the BCS-BEC crossover in ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter, respectively. The separate discussion in the two contexts aims at cross communicating to both communities topics and aspects which, albeit arising in one of the two fields, share a strong common interest.

Ultracold collisions between Rb atoms and a Sr+ ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meir, Ziv; Sikorsky, Tomas; Ben-Shlomi, Ruti; Dallal, Yehonatan; Ozeri, Roee

2015-05-01

In last decade, a novel field emerged, in which ultracold atoms and ions in overlapping traps are brought into interaction. In contrast to the short ranged atom-atom interaction which scales as r-6, atom-ion potential persists for hundreds of μm's due to its lower power-law scaling - r-4. Inelastic collisions between the consistuents lead to spin and charge transfer and also to molecule formation. Elastic collisions control the energy transfer between the ion and the atoms. The study of collisions at the μK range has thus far been impeded by the effect of the ion's micromotion which limited collision energy to mK scale. Unraveling this limit will allow to investigate few partial wave and even S-wave collisions. Our system is capable of trapping Sr+ ions and Rb and Sr atoms and cooling them to their quantum ground state. Atoms and ions are trapped and cooled in separate chambers. Then, the atoms are transported using an optical conveyer belt to overlap the ions. In contrast to other experiments in this field where the atoms are used to sympathetic cool the ion, our system is also capable of ground state cooling the ion before immersing it into the atom cloud. By this method, we would be able to explore heating and cooling dynamics in the ultracold regime.

Spin-Orbit Interactions and Quantum Spin Dynamics in Cold Ion-Atom Collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tscherbul, Timur V.; Brumer, Paul; Buchachenko, Alexei A.

2016-09-01

We present accurate ab initio and quantum scattering calculations on a prototypical hybrid ion-atom system Yb+ -Rb, recently suggested as a promising candidate for the experimental study of open quantum systems, quantum information processing, and quantum simulation. We identify the second-order spin-orbit (SO) interaction as the dominant source of hyperfine relaxation in cold Yb+ -Rb collisions. Our results are in good agreement with recent experimental observations [L. Ratschbacher et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 160402 (2013)] of hyperfine relaxation rates of trapped Yb+ immersed in an ultracold Rb gas. The calculated rates are 4 times smaller than is predicted by the Langevin capture theory and display a weak T-0.3 temperature dependence, indicating significant deviations from statistical behavior. Our analysis underscores the deleterious nature of the SO interaction and implies that light ion-atom combinations such as Yb+ -Li should be used to minimize hyperfine relaxation and decoherence of trapped ions in ultracold atomic gases.

Heat Transfer Through Dipolar Coupling: Sympathetic cooling without contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktel, Mehmet; Renklioglu, Basak; Tanatar, Bilal

We consider two parallel layers of dipolar ultracold gases at different temperatures and calculate the heat transfer through dipolar coupling. As the simplest model we consider a system in which both of the layers contain two-dimensional spin-polarized Fermi gases. The effective interactions describing the correlation effects and screening between the dipoles are obtained by the Euler-Lagrange Fermi-hypernetted-chain approximation in a single layer. We use the random-phase approximation (RPA) for the interactions across the layers. We find that heat transfer through dipolar coupling becomes efficient when the layer separation is comparable to dipolar interaction length scale. We characterize the heat transfer by calculating the time constant for temperature equilibration between the layers and find that for the typical experimental parameter regime of dipolar molecules this is on the order of milliseconds. We generalize the initial model to Boson-Boson and Fermion-Boson layers and suggest that contactless sympathetic cooling may be used for ultracold dipolar molecules. Supported by TUBITAK 1002-116F030.

High-precision multiband spectroscopy of ultracold fermions in a nonseparable optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fläschner, Nick; Tarnowski, Matthias; Rem, Benno S.; Vogel, Dominik; Sengstock, Klaus; Weitenberg, Christof

2018-05-01

Spectroscopic tools are fundamental for the understanding of complex quantum systems. Here, we demonstrate high-precision multiband spectroscopy in a graphenelike lattice using ultracold fermionic atoms. From the measured band structure, we characterize the underlying lattice potential with a relative error of 1.2 ×10-3 . Such a precise characterization of complex lattice potentials is an important step towards precision measurements of quantum many-body systems. Furthermore, we explain the excitation strengths into different bands with a model and experimentally study their dependency on the symmetry of the perturbation operator. This insight suggests the excitation strengths as a suitable observable for interaction effects on the eigenstates.

Spontaneous magnetization and anomalous Hall effect in an emergent Dice lattice

PubMed Central

Dutta, Omjyoti; Przysiężna, Anna; Zakrzewski, Jakub

2015-01-01

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices serve as a tool to model different physical phenomena appearing originally in condensed matter. To study magnetic phenomena one needs to engineer synthetic fields as atoms are neutral. Appropriately shaped optical potentials force atoms to mimic charged particles moving in a given field. We present the realization of artificial gauge fields for the observation of anomalous Hall effect. Two species of attractively interacting ultracold fermions are considered to be trapped in a shaken two dimensional triangular lattice. A combination of interaction induced tunneling and shaking can result in an emergent Dice lattice. In such a lattice the staggered synthetic magnetic flux appears and it can be controlled with external parameters. The obtained synthetic fields are non-Abelian. Depending on the tuning of the staggered flux we can obtain either anomalous Hall effect or its quantized version. Our results are reminiscent of Anomalous Hall conductivity in spin-orbit coupled ferromagnets. PMID:26057635

Quantum-Fluctuation-Driven Crossover from a Dilute Bose-Einstein Condensate to a Macrodroplet in a Dipolar Quantum Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chomaz, L.; Baier, S.; Petter, D.; Mark, M. J.; Wächtler, F.; Santos, L.; Ferlaino, F.

2016-10-01

In a joint experimental and theoretical effort, we report on the formation of a macrodroplet state in an ultracold bosonic gas of erbium atoms with strong dipolar interactions. By precise tuning of the s -wave scattering length below the so-called dipolar length, we observe a smooth crossover of the ground state from a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate to a dense macrodroplet state of more than 2 ×104 atoms . Based on the study of collective excitations and loss features, we prove that quantum fluctuations stabilize the ultracold gas far beyond the instability threshold imposed by mean-field interactions. Finally, we perform expansion measurements, showing that although self-bound solutions are prevented by losses, the interplay between quantum stabilization and losses results in a minimal time-of-flight expansion velocity at a finite scattering length.

Observation of Dipolar Spin-Exchange Interactions with Polar Molecules in a Lattice

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

extend beyond nearest neighbours. This allows coherent spin dynamics to persist even for gases with relatively high entropy and low lattice filling...dynamics to persist even for gases with relatively high entropy and low lat- tice filling. While measured effects of dipolar interactions in ultracold...limits superexchange to nearest-neighbor interactions and requires extremely low temperature and entropy . In contrast, long-range dipolar

Interference, focusing and excitation of ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandes, M. C.; Fahy, B. M.; Williams, S. R.; Tally, C. H., IV; Bromley, M. W. J.

2011-05-01

One of the pressing technological challenges in atomic physics is to go orders-of-magnitude beyond the limits of photon-based optics by harnessing the wave-nature of dilute clouds of ultracold atoms. We have developed parallelised algorithms to perform numerical calculations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation in up to three dimensions and with up to three components to simulate Bose-Einstein condensates. A wide-ranging array of the physics associated with atom optics-based systems will be presented including BEC-based Sagnac interferometry in circular waveguides, the focusing of BECs using Laguerre-Gauss beams, and the interactions between BECs and Ince-Gaussian laser beams and their potential applications. One of the pressing technological challenges in atomic physics is to go orders-of-magnitude beyond the limits of photon-based optics by harnessing the wave-nature of dilute clouds of ultracold atoms. We have developed parallelised algorithms to perform numerical calculations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation in up to three dimensions and with up to three components to simulate Bose-Einstein condensates. A wide-ranging array of the physics associated with atom optics-based systems will be presented including BEC-based Sagnac interferometry in circular waveguides, the focusing of BECs using Laguerre-Gauss beams, and the interactions between BECs and Ince-Gaussian laser beams and their potential applications. Performed on computational resources via NSF grants PHY-0970127, CHE-0947087 and DMS-0923278.

Bose and Fermi Gases of Ultracold Ytterbium in a Triangular Optical Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thobe, Alexander; Doerscher, Soeren; Hundt, Bastian; Kochanke, Andre; Becker, Christoph; Sengstock, Klaus

2013-05-01

Quantum gases of alkaline-earth like atoms such as Calcium, Strontium and Ytterbium (Yb) open up exciting new possibilities for the study of many body physics in optical lattices, ranging from SU(N) symmetric spin Hamiltonians to the Kondo Lattice Model. Here, we present experimental studies of ultracold bosonic and fermionic Yb quantum gases. Unlike other experiments studying ultracold alkaline earth-like atoms, we have implemented a 2D-MOT instead of a Zeeman slower as a source of cold atoms. From the 2D-MOT, operating on the broad 1S0 -->1P1 transtition, the atoms are directly loaded into the 3D-MOT operating on a narrow intercombination line. The atoms are then evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy in a crossed optical dipole trap. With this setup we routinely produce BECs and degenerate Fermi gases of different Yb isotopes. Moreover, we present first results on spectroscopy of an interacting fermi gas on the ultranarrow 1S0 -->3P0 clock transition in a magic wavelength optical lattice. In future experiments, this spectroscopy will serve as a versatile tool for interaction sensing and selective addressing of atoms in a wavelength tunable, state dependent, triangular optical lattice, which we are currently implementing. This work is supported by DFG within SFB 925 and GrK 1355, as well as EU FETOpen (iSense).

Time-Dependent Wave Packet Dynamics Calculations of Cross Sections for Ultracold Scattering of Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jiayu; Liu, Shu; Zhang, Dong H.; Krems, Roman V.

2018-04-01

Because the de Broglie wavelength of ultracold molecules is very large, the cross sections for collisions of molecules at ultracold temperatures are always computed by the time-independent quantum scattering approach. Here, we report the first accurate time-dependent wave packet dynamics calculation for reactive scattering of ultracold molecules. Wave packet dynamics calculations can be applied to molecular systems with more dimensions and provide real-time information on the process of bond rearrangement and/or energy exchange in molecular collisions. Our work thus makes possible the extension of rigorous quantum calculations of ultracold reaction properties to polyatomic molecules and adds a new powerful tool for the study of ultracold chemistry.

Time-Dependent Wave Packet Dynamics Calculations of Cross Sections for Ultracold Scattering of Molecules.

PubMed

Huang, Jiayu; Liu, Shu; Zhang, Dong H; Krems, Roman V

2018-04-06

Because the de Broglie wavelength of ultracold molecules is very large, the cross sections for collisions of molecules at ultracold temperatures are always computed by the time-independent quantum scattering approach. Here, we report the first accurate time-dependent wave packet dynamics calculation for reactive scattering of ultracold molecules. Wave packet dynamics calculations can be applied to molecular systems with more dimensions and provide real-time information on the process of bond rearrangement and/or energy exchange in molecular collisions. Our work thus makes possible the extension of rigorous quantum calculations of ultracold reaction properties to polyatomic molecules and adds a new powerful tool for the study of ultracold chemistry.

Thermal effects in light scattering from ultracold bosons in an optical lattice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lakomy, Kazimierz; Idziaszek, Zbigniew; Trippenbach, Marek

2009-10-15

We study the scattering of a weak and far-detuned light from a system of ultracold bosons in one-dimensional and three-dimensional optical lattices. We show the connection between angular distributions of the scattered light and statistical properties of a Bose gas in a periodic potential. The angular patterns are determined by the Fourier transform of the second-order correlation function, and thus they can be used to retrieve information on particle number fluctuations and correlations. We consider superfluid and Mott-insulator phases of the Bose gas in a lattice and we analyze in detail how the scattering depends on the system dimensionality, temperature,more » and atom-atom interactions.« less

Magnetic-film atom chip with 10 μm period lattices of microtraps for quantum information science with Rydberg atoms.

PubMed

Leung, V Y F; Pijn, D R M; Schlatter, H; Torralbo-Campo, L; La Rooij, A L; Mulder, G B; Naber, J; Soudijn, M L; Tauschinsky, A; Abarbanel, C; Hadad, B; Golan, E; Folman, R; Spreeuw, R J C

2014-05-01

We describe the fabrication and construction of a setup for creating lattices of magnetic microtraps for ultracold atoms on an atom chip. The lattice is defined by lithographic patterning of a permanent magnetic film. Patterned magnetic-film atom chips enable a large variety of trapping geometries over a wide range of length scales. We demonstrate an atom chip with a lattice constant of 10 μm, suitable for experiments in quantum information science employing the interaction between atoms in highly excited Rydberg energy levels. The active trapping region contains lattice regions with square and hexagonal symmetry, with the two regions joined at an interface. A structure of macroscopic wires, cutout of a silver foil, was mounted under the atom chip in order to load ultracold (87)Rb atoms into the microtraps. We demonstrate loading of atoms into the square and hexagonal lattice sections simultaneously and show resolved imaging of individual lattice sites. Magnetic-film lattices on atom chips provide a versatile platform for experiments with ultracold atoms, in particular for quantum information science and quantum simulation.

Quantum measurement-induced antiferromagnetic order and density modulations in ultracold Fermi gases in optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzucchi, Gabriel; Caballero-Benitez, Santiago F.; Mekhov, Igor B.

2016-08-01

Ultracold atomic systems offer a unique tool for understanding behavior of matter in the quantum degenerate regime, promising studies of a vast range of phenomena covering many disciplines from condensed matter to quantum information and particle physics. Coupling these systems to quantized light fields opens further possibilities of observing delicate effects typical of quantum optics in the context of strongly correlated systems. Measurement backaction is one of the most funda- mental manifestations of quantum mechanics and it is at the core of many famous quantum optics experiments. Here we show that quantum backaction of weak measurement can be used for tailoring long-range correlations of ultracold fermions, realizing quantum states with spatial modulations of the density and magnetization, thus overcoming usual requirement for a strong interatomic interactions. We propose detection schemes for implementing antiferromagnetic states and density waves. We demonstrate that such long-range correlations cannot be realized with local addressing, and they are a consequence of the competition between global but spatially structured backaction of weak quantum measurement and unitary dynamics of fermions.

EDITORIAL: Focus on Cold and Ultracold Molecules FOCUS ON COLD AND ULTRACOLD MOLECULES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Lincoln D.; Ye, Jun

2009-05-01

Cold and ultracold molecules are the next wave of ultracold physics, giving rise to an exciting array of scientific opportunities, including many body physics for novel quantum phase transitions, new states of matter, and quantum information processing. Precision tests of fundamental physical laws benefit from the existence of molecular internal structure with exquisite control. The study of novel collision and reaction dynamics will open a new chapter of quantum chemistry. Cold molecules bring together researchers from a variety of fields, including atomic, molecular, and optical physics, chemistry and chemical physics, quantum information science and quantum simulations, condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics, a truly remarkable synergy of scientific explorations. For the past decade there have been steady advances in direct cooling techniques, from buffer-gas cooling to cold molecular beams to electro- and magneto-molecular decelerators. These techniques have allowed a large variety of molecules to be cooled for pioneering studies. Recent amazing advances in experimental techniques combining the ultracold and the ultraprecise have furthermore brought molecules to the point of quantum degeneracy. These latter indirect cooling techniques magnetically associate atoms from a Bose-Einstein condensate and/or a quantum degenerate Fermi gas, transferring at 90% efficiency highly excited Fano-Feshbach molecules, which are on the order of 10 000 Bohr radii in size, to absolute ground state molecules just a few Bohr across. It was this latter advance, together with significant breakthroughs in internal state manipulations, which inspired us to coordinate this focus issue now, and is the reason why we say the next wave of ultracold physics has now arrived. Whether directly or indirectly cooled, heteronuclear polar molecules offer distinct new features in comparison to cold atoms, while sharing all of their advantages (purity, high coherence, controllability, tunable interactions, no disorder, etc). First, they are more easily manipulated because of the strong response of their electric dipole moment to external electric fields, DC or AC. The electric dipole moment also creates the new aspect of long range interactions. Second, they have a rich internal structure, with vibrational and rotational states, fine or hyperfine structure, and Ω- or Λ-doublets. This internal structure allows for wonderful new possibilities in areas such as precision measurement and exquisite control of system dynamics. Therefore, although this focus issue contains a few articles on homonuclear molecules, more complex molecules such as benzene, and even a contribution on atomic chromium, which has a significant magnetic dipole moment, our main focus is on the heteronuclear polar case. This focus issue explores both direct and indirect cooling of mainly polar molecules, and the theory to support and inspire these advances. Thirty-eight research groups have contributed original work, and there are two review articles to complement these advances: the first covers cold and ultracold molecules broadly from few body to many body physics, including foundational theory, the technology to make them, and their scientific applications. The second is on the search for time variation of fundamental constants. The former review, which is comprehensive in nature, concludes with a list of open questions. This sets the tone for the focus issue, namely, openness, innovation, and possibility, an emphasis for which New Journal of Physics, an open-access journal of the highest quality, is especially fitted. Focus on Cold and Ultracold Molecules Contents Cold and ultracold molecules: science, technology and applications Lincoln D Carr, David DeMille, Roman V Krems and Jun Ye Ultracold molecules: new probes on the variation of fundamental constants Cheng Chin, V V Flambaum and M G Kozlov Probing the unitarity limit at low laser intensities Philippe Pellegrini and Robin Côté Single-photon molecular cooling Edvardas Narevicius, S Travis Bannerman and Mark G Raizen Quantum simulations of extended Hubbard models with dipolar crystals M Ortner, A Micheli, G Pupillo and P Zoller Collisional and molecular spectroscopy in an ultracold Bose-Bose mixture G Thalhammer, G Barontini, J Catani, F Rabatti, C Weber, A Simoni, F Minardi and M Inguscio Multi-channel modelling of the formation of vibrationally cold polar KRb molecules Svetlana Kotochigova, Eite Tiesinga and Paul S Julienne Formation of ultracold, highly polar X1Σ+ NaCs molecules C Haimberger, J Kleinert, P Zabawa, A Wakim and N P Bigelow Quantum polarization spectroscopy of correlations in attractive fermionic gases T Roscilde, M Rodríguez, K Eckert, O Romero-Isart, M Lewenstein, E Polzik and A Sanpera Inelastic semiclassical collisions in cold dipolar gases Michael Cavagnero and Catherine Newell Quasi-universal dipolar scattering in cold and ultracold gases J L Bohn, M Cavagnero and C Ticknor Stark deceleration of lithium hydride molecules S K Tokunaga, J M Dyne, E A Hinds and M R Tarbutt Molecular vibrational cooling by optical pumping with shaped femtosecond pulses D Sofikitis, S Weber, A Fioretti, R Horchani, M Allegrini, B Chatel, D Comparat and P Pillet Deeply bound ultracold molecules in an optical lattice Johann G Danzl, Manfred J Mark, Elmar Haller, Mattias Gustavsson, Russell Hart, Andreas Liem, Holger Zellmer and Hanns-Christoph Nägerl Toward the production of quantum degenerate bosonic polar molecules, 41K87Rb K Aikawa, D Akamatsu, J Kobayashi, M Ueda, T Kishimoto and S Inouye Influence of a Feshbach resonance on the photoassociation of LiCs J Deiglmayr, P Pellegrini, A Grochola, M Repp, R Côté, O Dulieu, R Wester and M Weidemüller The kinematic cooling of molecules with laser-cooled atoms Ken Takase, Larry A Rahn, David W Chandler and Kevin E Strecker Coherent collapses of dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates for different trap geometries J Metz, T Lahaye, B Fröhlich, A Griesmaier, T Pfau, H Saito, Y Kawaguchi and M Ueda High-energy-resolution molecular beams for cold collision studies L P Parazzoli, N Fitch, D S Lobser and H J Lewandowski Collisional effects in the formation of cold guided beams of polar molecules M Motsch, C Sommer, M Zeppenfeld, L D van Buuren, P W H Pinkse and G Rempe Towards sympathetic cooling of large molecules: cold collisions between benzene and rare gas atoms P Barletta, J Tennyson and P F Barker Efficient formation of ground-state ultracold molecules via STIRAP from the continuum at a Feshbach resonance Elena Kuznetsova, Marko Gacesa, Philippe Pellegrini, Susanne F Yelin and Robin Côté Emergent timescales in entangled quantum dynamics of ultracold molecules in optical lattices M L Wall and L D Carr Rotational state resolved photodissociation spectroscopy of translationally and vibrationally cold MgH+ ions: toward rotational cooling of molecular ions K Højbjerre, A K Hansen, P S Skyt, P F Staanum and M Drewsen Collective transverse cavity cooling of a dense molecular beam Thomas Salzburger and Helmut Ritsch A Stark decelerator on a chip Samuel A Meek, Horst Conrad and Gerard Meijer Deceleration of molecules by dipole force potential: a numerical simulation Susumu Kuma and Takamasa Momose Ultracold molecules: vehicles to scalable quantum information processing Kathy-Anne Brickman Soderberg, Nathan Gemelke and Cheng Chin Magnetic field modification of ultracold molecule-molecule collisions T V Tscherbul, Yu V Suleimanov, V Aquilanti and R V Krems Spectroscopy of 39K85Rb triplet excited states using ultracold a 3Σ+ state molecules formed by photoassociation J T Kim, D Wang, E E Eyler, P L Gould and W C Stwalley Pumping vortex into a Bose-Einstein condensate of heteronuclear molecules Z F Xu, R Q Wang and L You Intense atomic and molecular beams via neon buffer-gas cooling David Patterson, Julia Rasmussen and John M Doyle Dynamical properties of dipolar Fermi gases T Sogo, L He, T Miyakawa, S Yi, H Lu and H Pu Collisions of bosonic ultracold polar molecules in microwave traps Alexander V Avdeenkov Cold TiO(X3Δ)-He collisions Mei-Ju Lu and Jonathan D Weinstein Investigation of dephasing rates in an interacting Rydberg gas U Raitzsch, R Heidemann, H Weimer, B Butscher, P Kollmann, R Löw, H P Büchler and T Pfau Impact of electric fields on highly excited rovibrational states of polar dimers Rosario González-Férez and Peter Schmelcher Phase transition from straight into twisted vortex lines in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates M Klawunn and L Santos Stimulating the production of deeply bound RbCs molecules with laser pulses: the role of spin-orbit coupling in forming ultracold molecules Subhas Ghosal, Richard J Doyle, Christiane P Koch and Jeremy M Hutson Sensitive measurement of mp/me variance using vibrational transition frequencies of cold molecules Masatoshi Kajita

Interaction quenched ultracold few-boson ensembles in periodically driven lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistakidis, Simeon; Schmelcher, Peter; Theory Group of Fundamental Processes in Quantum Physics Team

2017-04-01

The out-of-equilibrium dynamics of interaction quenched finite ultracold bosonic ensembles in periodically driven one-dimensional optical lattices is investigated. It is shown that periodic driving enforces the bosons in the outer wells of the finite lattice to exhibit out-of-phase dipole-like modes, while in the central well the atomic cloud experiences a local breathing mode. The dynamical behavior is investigated with varying driving frequency, revealing a resonant-like behavior of the intra-well dynamics. An interaction quench in the periodically driven lattice gives rise to admixtures of different excitations in the outer wells, an enhanced breathing in the center and an amplification of the tunneling dynamics. We observe then multiple resonances between the inter- and intra-well dynamics at different quench amplitudes, with the position of the resonances being tunable via the driving frequency. Our results pave the way for future investigations on the use of combined driving protocols in order to excite different inter- and intra-well modes and to subsequently control them. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the framework of the SFB 925 ``Light induced dynamics and control of correlated quantum systems''.

Interatomic interaction effects on second-order momentum correlations and Hong-Ou-Mandel interference of double-well-trapped ultracold fermionic atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, Benedikt B.; Yannouleas, Constantine; Landman, Uzi

2018-05-01

Identification and understanding of the evolution of interference patterns in two-particle momentum correlations as a function of the strength of interatomic interactions are important in explorations of the nature of quantum states of trapped particles. Together with the analysis of two-particle spatial correlations, they offer the prospect of uncovering fundamental symmetries and structure of correlated many-body states, as well as opening vistas into potential control and utilization of correlated quantum states as quantum-information resources. With the use of the second-order density matrix constructed via exact diagonalization of the microscopic Hamiltonian, and an analytic Hubbard-type model, we explore here the systematic evolution of characteristic interference patterns in the two-body momentum and spatial correlation maps of two entangled ultracold fermionic atoms in a double well, for the entire attractive- and repulsive-interaction range. We uncover quantum-statistics-governed bunching and antibunching, as well as interaction-dependent interference patterns, in the ground and excited states, and interpret our results in light of the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference physics, widely exploited in photon indistinguishability testing and quantum-information science.

Control dynamics of interaction quenched ultracold bosons in periodically driven lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistakidis, Simeon; Schmelcher, Peter; Group of Fundamental Processes in Quantum Physics Team

2016-05-01

The out-of-equilibrium dynamics of ultracold bosons following an interaction quench upon a periodically driven optical lattice is investigated. It is shown that an interaction quench triggers the inter-well tunneling dynamics, while for the intra-well dynamics breathing and cradle-like processes can be generated. In particular, the occurrence of a resonance between the cradle and tunneling modes is revealed. On the other hand, the employed periodic driving enforces the bosons in the mirror wells to oscillate out-of-phase and to exhibit a dipole mode, while in the central well the cloud experiences a breathing mode. The dynamical behaviour of the system is investigated with respect to the driving frequency revealing a resonant behaviour of the intra-well dynamics. To drive the system in a highly non-equilibrium state an interaction quench upon the driving is performed giving rise to admixtures of excitations in the outer wells, an enhanced breathing in the center and an amplification of the tunneling dynamics. As a result of the quench the system experiences multiple resonances between the inter- and intra-well dynamics at different quench amplitudes. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 925 ``Light induced dynamics and control of correlated quantum systems''.

Introducing single-crystal scattering and optical potentials into MCNPX: Predicting neutron emission from a convoluted moderator

DOE PAGES

Gallmeier, F. X.; Iverson, E. B.; Lu, W.; ...

2016-01-08

Neutron transport simulation codes are an indispensable tool used for the design and construction of modern neutron scattering facilities and instrumentation. It has become increasingly clear that some neutron instrumentation has started to exploit physics that is not well-modelled by the existing codes. Particularly, the transport of neutrons through single crystals and across interfaces in MCNP(X), Geant4 and other codes ignores scattering from oriented crystals and refractive effects, and yet these are essential ingredients for the performance of monochromators and ultra-cold neutron transport respectively (to mention but two examples). In light of these developments, we have extended the MCNPX codemore » to include a single-crystal neutron scattering model and neutron reflection/refraction physics. Furthermore, we have also generated silicon scattering kernels for single crystals of definable orientation with respect to an incoming neutron beam. As a first test of these new tools, we have chosen to model the recently developed convoluted moderator concept, in which a moderating material is interleaved with layers of perfect crystals to provide an exit path for neutrons moderated to energies below the crystal s Bragg cut off at locations deep within the moderator. Studies of simple cylindrical convoluted moderator systems of 100 mm diameter and composed of polyethylene and single crystal silicon were performed with the upgraded MCNPX code and reproduced the magnitude of effects seen in experiments compared to homogeneous moderator systems. Applying different material properties for refraction and reflection, and by replacing the silicon in the models with voids, we show that the emission enhancements seen in recent experiments are primarily caused by the transparency of the silicon/void layers. Finally the convoluted moderator experiments described by Iverson et al. were simulated and we find satisfactory agreement between the measurement and the results of simulations performed using the tools we have developed.« less

Improving Signal Detection using Allan and Theo Variances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardy, Andrew; Broering, Mark; Korsch, Wolfgang

2017-09-01

Precision measurements often deal with small signals buried within electronic noise. Extracting these signals can be enhanced through digital signal processing. Improving these techniques provide signal to noise ratios. Studies presently performed at the University of Kentucky are utilizing the electro-optic Kerr effect to understand cell charging effects within ultra-cold neutron storage cells. This work is relevant for the neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These investigations, and future investigations in general, will benefit from the illustrated improved analysis techniques. This project will showcase various methods for determining the optimum duration that data should be gathered for. Typically, extending the measuring time of an experimental run reduces the averaged noise. However, experiments also encounter drift due to fluctuations which mitigate the benefits of extended data gathering. Through comparing FFT averaging techniques, along with Allan and Theo variance measurements, quantifiable differences in signal detection will be presented. This research is supported by DOE Grants: DE-FG02-99ER411001, DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Observation of Spin Polarons in a Tunable Fermi Liquid of Ultracold Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwierlein, Martin

2009-05-01

We have observed spin polarons, dressed spin down impurities in a spin up Fermi sea of ultracold atoms via tomographic RF spectroscopy. Feshbach resonances allow to freely tune the interactions between the two spin states involved. A single spin down atom immersed in a Fermi sea of spin up atoms can do one of two things: For strong attraction, it can form a molecule with exactly one spin up partner, but for weaker interaction it will spread its attraction and surround itself with a collection of majority atoms. This spin down atom dressed with a spin up cloud constitutes the spin- or Fermi polaron. We have observed a striking spectroscopic signature of this quasi-particle for various interaction strengths, a narrow peak in the spin down spectrum that emerges above a broad background. The spectra allow us to directly measure the polaron energy and the quasi-particle residue Z. The polarons are found to be only weakly interacting with each other, and can thus be identified with the quasi-particles of Landau's Fermi liquid theory. At a critical interaction strength, we observe a transition from spin one-half polarons to spin zero molecules. At this point the Fermi liquid undergoes a phase transition into a superfluid Bose liquid.

The importance of multi-level Rydberg interaction in electric field tuned Förster resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondo, Jorge; Booth, Donald; Gonçalves, Luis; Shaffer, James; Marcassa, Luis

2016-05-01

Many-body physics has been investigated in ultracold Rydberg atom systems, mainly because important parameters, such as density and interaction strength, can be controlled. Several puzzling experimental observations on Förster resonances have been associated to many-body effects, usually by comparison to complex theoretical models. In this work, we investigate the dc electric field dependence of 2 Förster resonant processes in ultracold 85 Rb, 37D5 / 2 + 37D5 / 2 --> 35 L(L = O , Q) + 39P3 / 2 , as a function of the atomic density in an optical dipole trap. At low densities, the 39 P yield as a function of electric field exhibits resonances. With increasing density, the linewidths increase until the peaks merge. Even under these extreme conditions, where many-body effects were expected to play a role, the 39 P population depends quadratically on the total Rydberg atom population. In order to explain our results, we implement a theoretical model which takes into account the multi-level character of the interactions and Rydberg atom blockade process using only atom pair interactions. The comparison between the experimental data and the model is very good, suggesting that the Förster resonant processes are dominated by 2-body interactions. This work is supported by FAPESP, AFOSR, NSF, INCT-IQ and CNPq.

An approach to spin-resolved molecular gas microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covey, Jacob P.; De Marco, Luigi; Acevedo, Óscar L.; Rey, Ana Maria; Ye, Jun

2018-04-01

Ultracold polar molecules are an ideal platform for studying many-body physics with long-range dipolar interactions. Experiments in this field have progressed enormously, and several groups are pursuing advanced apparatus for manipulation of molecules with electric fields as well as single-atom-resolved in situ detection. Such detection has become ubiquitous for atoms in optical lattices and tweezer arrays, but has yet to be demonstrated for ultracold polar molecules. Here we present a proposal for the implementation of site-resolved microscopy for polar molecules, and specifically discuss a technique for spin-resolved molecular detection. We use numerical simulation of spin dynamics of lattice-confined polar molecules to show how such a scheme would be of utility in a spin-diffusion experiment.

De Haas-van Alphen effect of a two-dimensional ultracold atomic gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farias, B.; Furtado, C.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we show how the ultracold atom analogue of the two-dimensional de Haas-van Alphen effect in electronic condensed matter systems can be induced by optical fields in a neutral atomic system. The interaction between the suitable spatially varying laser fields and tripod-type trapped atoms generates a synthetic magnetic field which leads the particles to organize themselves in Landau levels. Initially, with the atomic gas in a regime of lowest Landau level, we display the oscillatory behaviour of the atomic energy and its derivative with respect to the effective magnetic field (B) as a function of 1/B. Furthermore, we estimate the area of the Fermi circle of the two-dimensional atomic gas.

Strongly Interacting Fermi Gases In Two Dimensions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-03

Correlated Quantum Fluids: From Ultracold Quantum Gases to QCD Plasmas. Figure 2 Spin Transport in Spin-Imbalanced, strongly interacting...atoms becomes confined to a stack of two-dimensional layers formed by a one-dimensional optical lattice . Decreasing the dimensionality leads to the...opening of a gap in radiofrequency spectra, even on the BCS-side of a Feshbach resonance. With increasing lattice depth, the measured binding energy

Quantum Gas Microscope for Fermionic Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okan, Melih; Cheuk, Lawrence; Nichols, Matthew; Lawrence, Katherine; Zhang, Hao; Zwierlein, Martin

2016-05-01

Strongly interacting fermions define the properties of complex matter throughout nature, from atomic nuclei and modern solid state materials to neutron stars. Ultracold atomic Fermi gases have emerged as a pristine platform for the study of many-fermion systems. In this poster we demonstrate the realization of a quantum gas microscope for fermionic 40 K atoms trapped in an optical lattice and the recent experiments which allows one to probe strongly correlated fermions at the single atom level. We combine 3D Raman sideband cooling with high- resolution optics to simultaneously cool and image individual atoms with single lattice site resolution at a detection fidelity above 95%. The imaging process leaves the atoms predominantly in the 3D motional ground state of their respective lattice sites, inviting the implementation of a Maxwell's demon to assemble low-entropy many-body states. Single-site resolved imaging of fermions enables the direct observation of magnetic order, time resolved measurements of the spread of particle correlations, and the detection of many-fermion entanglement. NSF, AFOSR-PECASE, AFOSR-MURI on Exotic Phases of Matter, ARO-MURI on Atomtronics, ONR, a Grant from the Army Research Office with funding from the DARPA OLE program, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Reaching Higher Gamma in Ultracold Neutral Plasmas Through Disorder-Induced Heating Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-27

shielding ,” Phys. Rev. E 87, 033101 (2013) 4 Sequential ionization of ultracold plasma ions A simulation published in 2007 by Michael Murillo showed...AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2017-0031 Reaching higher Gamma in ultracold neutral plasmas through disorder-induced heating control Scott Bergeson BRIGHAM YOUNG...TYPE Final Report 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 01 June 2012 - 31 May 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Reaching higher Gamma in ultracold neutral plasmas

Control of Wannier orbitals for generating tunable Ising interactions of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inaba, Kensuke; Tamaki, Kiyoshi; Igeta, Kazuhiro

2014-12-04

In this study, we propose a method for generating cluster states of atoms in an optical lattice. By utilizing the quantum properties of Wannier orbitals, we create an tunable Ising interaction between atoms without inducing the spin-exchange interactions. We investigate the cause of errors that occur during entanglement generations, and then we propose an error-management scheme, which allows us to create high-fidelity cluster states in a short time.

Magnetic-film atom chip with 10 μm period lattices of microtraps for quantum information science with Rydberg atoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leung, V. Y. F.; Complex Photonic Systems; Pijn, D. R. M.

2014-05-15

We describe the fabrication and construction of a setup for creating lattices of magnetic microtraps for ultracold atoms on an atom chip. The lattice is defined by lithographic patterning of a permanent magnetic film. Patterned magnetic-film atom chips enable a large variety of trapping geometries over a wide range of length scales. We demonstrate an atom chip with a lattice constant of 10 μm, suitable for experiments in quantum information science employing the interaction between atoms in highly excited Rydberg energy levels. The active trapping region contains lattice regions with square and hexagonal symmetry, with the two regions joined atmore » an interface. A structure of macroscopic wires, cutout of a silver foil, was mounted under the atom chip in order to load ultracold {sup 87}Rb atoms into the microtraps. We demonstrate loading of atoms into the square and hexagonal lattice sections simultaneously and show resolved imaging of individual lattice sites. Magnetic-film lattices on atom chips provide a versatile platform for experiments with ultracold atoms, in particular for quantum information science and quantum simulation.« less

Collisional Thermalization in Strongly Coupled Ultracold Neutral Plasmas

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-25

Beaumont, TX (4/16). “Studying Strongly Coupled Systems with Ultracold Plasmas," Department of Physics and Astronomy Colloquium, University of South...Alabama, Mobile, AL (11/15). “Collective Modes and Correlations in Strongly Coupled Ultracold Plasmas," Department of Physics and Astronomy

Realization of the manipulation of ultracold atoms with a reconfigurable nanomagnetic system of domain walls.

PubMed

West, Adam D; Weatherill, Kevin J; Hayward, Thomas J; Fry, Paul W; Schrefl, Thomas; Gibbs, Mike R J; Adams, Charles S; Allwood, Dan A; Hughes, Ifan G

2012-08-08

Planar magnetic nanowires have been vital to the development of spintronic technology. They provide an unparalleled combination of magnetic reconfigurability, controllability, and scalability, which has helped to realize such applications as racetrack memory and novel logic gates. Microfabricated atom optics benefit from all of these properties, and we present the first demonstration of the amalgamation of spintronic technology with ultracold atoms. A magnetic interaction is exhibited through the reflection of a cloud of (87)Rb atoms at a temperature of 10 μK, from a 2 mm × 2 mm array of nanomagnetic domain walls. In turn, the incident atoms approach the array at heights of the order of 100 nm and are thus used to probe magnetic fields at this distance.

Analytical solutions for the dynamics of two trapped interacting ultracold atoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Idziaszek, Zbigniew; Calarco, Tommaso; CNR-INFM BEC Center, I-38050 Povo

2006-08-15

We discuss exact solutions of the Schroedinger equation for the system of two ultracold atoms confined in an axially symmetric harmonic potential. We investigate different geometries of the trapping potential, in particular we study the properties of eigenenergies and eigenfunctions for quasi-one-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional traps. We show that the quasi-one-dimensional and the quasi-two-dimensional regimes for two atoms can be already realized in the traps with moderately large (or small) ratios of the trapping frequencies in the axial and the transverse directions. Finally, we apply our theory to Feshbach resonances for trapped atoms. Introducing in our description an energy-dependent scattering lengthmore » we calculate analytically the eigenenergies for two trapped atoms in the presence of a Feshbach resonance.« less

Novel systems and methods for quantum communication, quantum computation, and quantum simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorshkov, Alexey Vyacheslavovich

Precise control over quantum systems can enable the realization of fascinating applications such as powerful computers, secure communication devices, and simulators that can elucidate the physics of complex condensed matter systems. However, the fragility of quantum effects makes it very difficult to harness the power of quantum mechanics. In this thesis, we present novel systems and tools for gaining fundamental insights into the complex quantum world and for bringing practical applications of quantum mechanics closer to reality. We first optimize and show equivalence between a wide range of techniques for storage of photons in atomic ensembles. We describe experiments demonstrating the potential of our optimization algorithms for quantum communication and computation applications. Next, we combine the technique of photon storage with strong atom-atom interactions to propose a robust protocol for implementing the two-qubit photonic phase gate, which is an important ingredient in many quantum computation and communication tasks. In contrast to photon storage, many quantum computation and simulation applications require individual addressing of closely-spaced atoms, ions, quantum dots, or solid state defects. To meet this requirement, we propose a method for coherent optical far-field manipulation of quantum systems with a resolution that is not limited by the wavelength of radiation. While alkali atoms are currently the system of choice for photon storage and many other applications, we develop new methods for quantum information processing and quantum simulation with ultracold alkaline-earth atoms in optical lattices. We show how multiple qubits can be encoded in individual alkaline-earth atoms and harnessed for quantum computing and precision measurements applications. We also demonstrate that alkaline-earth atoms can be used to simulate highly symmetric systems exhibiting spin-orbital interactions and capable of providing valuable insights into strongly correlated physics of transition metal oxides, heavy fermion materials, and spin liquid phases. While ultracold atoms typically exhibit only short-range interactions, numerous exotic phenomena and practical applications require long-range interactions, which can be achieved with ultracold polar molecules. We demonstrate the possibility to engineer a repulsive interaction between polar molecules, which allows for the suppression of inelastic collisions, efficient evaporative cooling, and the creation of novel phases of polar molecules.

Expansion of an ultracold Rydberg plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forest, Gabriel T.; Li, Yin; Ward, Edwin D.; Goodsell, Anne L.; Tate, Duncan A.

2018-04-01

We report a systematic experimental and numerical study of the expansion of ultracold Rydberg plasmas. Specifically, we have measured the asymptotic expansion velocities, v0, of ultracold neutral plasmas (UNPs) which evolve from cold, dense samples of Rydberg rubidium atoms using ion time-of-flight spectroscopy. From this, we have obtained values for the effective initial plasma electron temperature, Te ,0=mionv02/kB (where mion is the Rb+ ion mass), as a function of the original Rydberg atom density and binding energy, Eb ,i. We have also simulated numerically the interaction of UNPs with a large reservoir of Rydberg atoms to obtain data to compare with our experimental results. We find that for Rydberg atom densities in the range 107-109 cm-3, for states with principal quantum number n >40 , Te ,0 is insensitive to the initial ionization mechanism which seeds the plasma. In addition, the quantity kBTe ,0 is strongly correlated with the fraction of atoms which ionize, and is in the range 0.6 ×| Eb ,i|≲ kBTe ,0≲2.5 ×|Eb ,i| . On the other hand, plasmas from Rydberg samples with n ≲40 evolve with no significant additional ionization of the remaining atoms once a threshold number of ions has been established. The dominant interaction between the plasma electrons and the Rydberg atoms is one in which the atoms are deexcited, a heating process for electrons that competes with adiabatic cooling to establish an equilibrium where Te ,0 is determined by their Coulomb coupling parameter, Γe˜0.01 .

Quantum Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orzel, Chad

2017-06-01

One of the most active areas in atomic, molecular and optical physics is the use of ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices to simulate the behaviour of electrons in condensed matter systems. The larger mass, longer length scale, and tuneable interactions in these systems allow the dynamics of atoms moving in these systems to be followed in real time, and resonant light scattering by the atoms allows this motion to be probed on a microscopic scale using site-resolved imaging. This book reviews the physics of Hubbard-type models for both bosons and fermions in an optical lattice, which give rise to a rich variety of insulating and conducting phases depending on the lattice properties and interparticle interactions. It also discusses the effect of disorder on the transport of atoms in these models, and the recently discovered phenomenon of many-body localization. It presents several examples of experiments using both density and momentum imaging and quantum gas microscopy to study the motion of atoms in optical lattices. These illustrate the power and flexibility of ultracold-lattice analogues for exploring exotic states of matter at an unprecedented level of precision.

Ultracold Mixtures of Rubidium and Ytterbium for Open Quantum System Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herold, Creston David

Exquisite experimental control of quantum systems has led to sharp growth of basic quantum research in recent years. Controlling dissipation has been crucial in producing ultracold, trapped atomic samples. Recent theoretical work has suggested dissipation can be a useful tool for quantum state preparation. Controlling not only how a system interacts with a reservoir, but the ability to engineer the reservoir itself would be a powerful platform for open quantum system research. Toward this end, we have constructed an apparatus to study ultracold mixtures of rubidium (Rb) and ytterbium (Yb). We have developed a Rb-blind optical lattice at 423.018(7) nm, which will enable us to immerse a lattice of Yb atoms (the system) into a Rb BEC (superfluid reservoir). We have produced Bose-Einstein condensates of 170Yb and 174Yb, two of the five bosonic isotopes of Yb, which also has two fermionic isotopes. Flexible optical trapping of Rb and Yb was achieved with a two-color dipole trap of 532 and 1064 nm, and we observed thermalization in ultracold mixtures of Rb and Yb. Using the Rb-blind optical lattice, we measured very small light shifts of 87Rb BECs near the light shift zero-wavelengths adjacent the 6p electronic states, through a coherent series of lattice pulses. The positions of the zero-wavelengths are sensitive to the electric dipole matrix elements between the 5s and 6p states, and we made the first experimental measurement of their strength. By measuring a light shift, we were not sensitive to excited state branching ratios, and we achieved a precision better than 0.3%.

Particle statistics and lossy dynamics of ultracold atoms in optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yago Malo, J.; van Nieuwenburg, E. P. L.; Fischer, M. H.; Daley, A. J.

2018-05-01

Experimental control over ultracold quantum gases has made it possible to investigate low-dimensional systems of both bosonic and fermionic atoms. In closed one-dimensional systems there are many similarities in the dynamics of local quantities for spinless fermions and strongly interacting "hard-core" bosons, which on a lattice can be formalized via a Jordan-Wigner transformation. In this study, we analyze the similarities and differences for spinless fermions and hard-core bosons on a lattice in the presence of particle loss. The removal of a single fermion causes differences in local quantities compared with the bosonic case because of the different particle exchange symmetry in the two cases. We identify deterministic and probabilistic signatures of these dynamics in terms of local particle density, which could be measured in ongoing experiments with quantum gas microscopes.

Quantum liquids get thin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrier-Barbut, Igor; Pfau, Tilman

2018-01-01

A liquid exists when interactions that attract its constituent particles to each other are counterbalanced by a repulsion acting at higher densities. Other characteristics of liquids are short-range correlations and the existence of surface tension (1). Ultracold atom experiments provide a privileged platform with which to observe exotic states of matter, but the densities are far too low to obtain a conventional liquid because the atoms are too far apart to create repulsive forces arising from the Pauli exclusion principle of the atoms' internal electrons. The observation of quantum liquid droplets in an ultracold mixture of two quantum fluids is now reported on page 301 of this issue by Cabrera et al. (2) and a recent preprint by Semeghini et al. (3). Unlike conventional liquids, these liquids arise from a weak attraction and repulsive many-body correlations in the mixtures.

Ultracold molecule assembly with photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Ríos, Jesús; Kim, May E.; Hung, Chen-Lung

2017-12-01

Photoassociation (PA) is a powerful technique to synthesize molecules directly and continuously from cold and ultracold atoms into deeply bound molecular states. In freespace, however, PA efficiency is constrained by the number of spontaneous decay channels linking the initial excited molecular state to a sea of final (meta)stable rovibronic levels. Here, we propose a novel scheme based on molecules strongly coupled to a guided photonic mode in a photonic crystal waveguide that turns PA into a powerful tool for near deterministic formation of ultracold molecules in their ground rovibrational level. Our example shows a potential ground state molecule production efficiency > 90 % , and a saturation rate > {10}6 molecules per second. By combining state-of-the-art cold atomic and molecular physics with nanophotonic engineering, our scheme presents a novel experimental package for trapping, cooling, and optically manipulating ultracold molecules, thus opening up new possibilities in the direction of ultracold chemistry and quantum information.

Coherent all-optical control of ultracold atoms arrays in permanent magnetic traps.

PubMed

Abdelrahman, Ahmed; Mukai, Tetsuya; Häffner, Hartmut; Byrnes, Tim

2014-02-10

We propose a hybrid architecture for quantum information processing based on magnetically trapped ultracold atoms coupled via optical fields. The ultracold atoms, which can be either Bose-Einstein condensates or ensembles, are trapped in permanent magnetic traps and are placed in microcavities, connected by silica based waveguides on an atom chip structure. At each trapping center, the ultracold atoms form spin coherent states, serving as a quantum memory. An all-optical scheme is used to initialize, measure and perform a universal set of quantum gates on the single and two spin-coherent states where entanglement can be generated addressably between spatially separated trapped ultracold atoms. This allows for universal quantum operations on the spin coherent state quantum memories. We give detailed derivations of the composite cavity system mediated by a silica waveguide as well as the control scheme. Estimates for the necessary experimental conditions for a working hybrid device are given.

Ultracold fermions in a one-dimensional bipartite optical lattice: Metal-insulator transitions driven by shaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Liberto, M.; Malpetti, D.; Japaridze, G. I.; Morais Smith, C.

2014-08-01

We theoretically investigate the behavior of a system of fermionic atoms loaded in a bipartite one-dimensional optical lattice that is under the action of an external time-periodic driving force. By using Floquet theory, an effective model is derived. The bare hopping coefficients are renormalized by zeroth-order Bessel functions of the first kind with different arguments for the nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor hopping. The insulating behavior characterizing the system at half filling in the absence of driving is dynamically suppressed, and for particular values of the driving parameter the system becomes either a standard metal or an unconventional metal with four Fermi points. The existence of the four-Fermi-point metal relies on the fact that, as a consequence of the shaking procedure, the next-nearest-neighbor hopping coefficients become significant compared to the nearest-neighbor ones. We use the bosonization technique to investigate the effect of on-site Hubbard interactions on the four-Fermi-point metal-insulator phase transition. Attractive interactions are expected to enlarge the regime of parameters where the unconventional metallic phase arises, whereas repulsive interactions reduce it. This metallic phase is known to be a Luther-Emery liquid (spin-gapped metal) for both repulsive and attractive interactions, contrary to the usual Hubbard model, which exhibits a Mott-insulator phase for repulsive interactions. Ultracold fermions in driven one-dimensional bipartite optical lattices provide an interesting platform for the realization of this long-studied four-Fermi-point unconventional metal.

Production, Manipulation, and Applications of Ultracold Polar Molecules

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

molecules, cooling, trapping, photoassociation, feshbach resonances, quantum simulation , ultracold collisions, ultracold chemistry, optical lattices...been a multitude of less predictable outcomes: special quantum information processing schemes, uses of entanglement such a spin-squeezing for better...field seeing states to high-field-seeking states (and back) at key points in the magnetic field. The molecules spontaneously emit photons as they are

Plasma oscillations in spherical Gaussian shaped ultracold neutral plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Tianxing; Lu, Ronghua, E-mail: lurh@siom.ac.cn; Guo, Li

2016-04-15

The collective plasma oscillations are investigated in ultracold neutral plasma with a non-uniform density profile. Instead of the plane configuration widely used, we derive the plasma oscillation equations with spherically symmetric distribution and Gaussian density profile. The damping of radial oscillation is found. The Tonks–Dattner resonances of the ultracold neutral plasma with an applied RF field are also calculated.

Magnetic-field gradiometer based on ultracold collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasak, Tomasz; Jachymski, Krzysztof; Calarco, Tommaso; Negretti, Antonio

2018-05-01

We present a detailed analysis of the usefulness of ultracold atomic collisions for sensing the strength of an external magnetic field as well as its spatial gradient. The core idea of the sensor, which we recently proposed in Jachymski et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 013401 (2018), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.013401], is to probe the transmission of the atoms through a set of quasi-one-dimensional waveguides that contain an impurity. Magnetic-field-dependent interactions between the incoming atoms and the impurity naturally lead to narrow resonances that can act as sensitive field probes since they strongly affect the transmission. We illustrate our findings with concrete examples of experimental relevance, demonstrating that for large atom fluences N a sensitivity of the order of 1 nT/√{N } for the field strength and 100 nT/(mm √{N }) for the gradient can be reached with our scheme.

Strong-Coupling Effects and Shear Viscosity in an Ultracold Fermi Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagamihara, D.; Ohashi, Y.

2017-06-01

We theoretically investigate the shear viscosity η , as well as the entropy density s, in the normal state of an ultracold Fermi gas. Including pairing fluctuations within the framework of a T-matrix approximation, we calculate these quantities in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) crossover region. We also evaluate η / s, to compare it with the lower bound of this ratio, conjectured by Kovtun, Son, and Starinets (KSS bound). In the weak-coupling BCS side, we show that the shear viscosity η is remarkably suppressed near the superfluid phase transition temperature Tc, due to the so-called pseudogap phenomenon. In the strong-coupling BEC side, we find that, within the neglect of the vertex corrections, one cannot correctly describe η . We also show that η / s decreases with increasing the interaction strength, to become very close to the KSS bound, \\hbar /4π kB, on the BEC side.

Quantum Enhancement of the Index of Refraction in a Bose-Einstein Condensate.

PubMed

Bons, P C; de Haas, R; de Jong, D; Groot, A; van der Straten, P

2016-04-29

We study the index of refraction of an ultracold bosonic gas in the dilute regime. Using phase-contrast imaging with light detuned from resonance by several tens of linewidths, we image a single cloud of ultracold atoms for 100 consecutive shots, which enables the study of the scattering rate as a function of temperature and density using only a single cloud. We observe that the scattering rate is increased below the critical temperature for Bose-Einstein condensation by a factor of 3 compared to the single-atom scattering rate. We show that current atom-light interaction models to second order of the density show a similar increase, where the magnitude of the effect depends on the model that is used to calculate the pair-correlation function. This confirms that the effect of quantum statistics on the index of refraction is dominant in this regime.

Ultracold Realization of AntiFerromagenteic Order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Uttam

2011-03-01

We investigate numerically the experimental feasibility of observing the antiferromagnetic (AF) order in the bosonic mixtures of rubidium (87 Rb) and potassium (41 K) in a two-dimensional optical lattice with external trapping potential. Within the mean-field approximation we have found the ground states which, for a specific range of parameters such as inter-species interactions and lattice height, interpolate from phase separation to the AF order. For the moderate lattice heights the coexistence of the Mott and AF phase is possible for rubidium atoms while the potassium atoms remain superfluid with overlapped AF phase. In our view there has not been any study on AF order in two-component systems when one component remains in the superfluid phase while the other is in the Mott phase. Therefore, this observation may provide a novel regime for studying quantum magnetism in ultracold systems. This work was supported by the EU Contract EU STREP NAMEQUAM.

Potential Engineering of Fermi-Hubbard Systems using a Quantum Gas Microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Geoffrey; Mazurenko, Anton; Chiu, Christie; Parsons, Maxwell; Kanász-Nagy, Márton; Schmidt, Richard; Grusdt, Fabian; Demler, Eugene; Greif, Daniel; Greiner, Markus

2017-04-01

Arbitrary control of optical potentials has emerged as an important tool in manipulating ultracold atomic systems, especially when combined with the single-site addressing afforded by quantum gas microscopy. Already, experiments have used digital micromirror devices (DMDs) to initialize and control ultracold atomic systems in the context of studying quantum walks, quantum thermalization, and many-body localization. Here, we report on progress in using a DMD located in the image plane of a quantum gas microscope to explore static and dynamic properties of a 2D Fermi-Hubbard system. By projecting a large, ring-shaped anti-confining potential, we demonstrate entropy redistribution and controlled doping of the system. Moreover, we use the DMD to prepare localized holes, which upon release interact with and disrupt the surrounding spin environment. These techniques pave the way for controlled investigations of dynamics in the low-temperature phases of the Hubbard model.

Casimir-Polder shifts on quantum levitation states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crépin, P.-P.; Dufour, G.; Guérout, R.; Lambrecht, A.; Reynaud, S.

2017-03-01

An ultracold atom above a horizontal mirror experiences quantum reflection from the attractive Casimir-Polder interaction, which holds it against gravity and leads to quantum levitation states. We analyze this system by using a Liouville transformation of the Schrödinger equation and a Langer coordinate adapted to problems with a classical turning point. Reflection on the Casimir-Polder attractive well is replaced by reflection on a repulsive wall, and the problem is then viewed as an ultracold atom trapped inside a cavity with gravity and Casimir-Polder potentials acting, respectively, as top and bottom mirrors. We calculate numerically Casimir-Polder shifts of the energies of the cavity resonances and propose an approximate treatment which is precise enough to discuss spectroscopy experiments aimed at tests of the weak-equivalence principle on antihydrogen. We also discuss the lifetimes by calculating complex energies associated with cavity resonances.

On observation of neutron quantum states in the Earth's gravitational field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vankov, Anatoli Andrei

2010-03-01

Observation of neutron gravitational quantum states En=mgzn in the peV energy range (z1 is about 10μm in the vertical direction) in the experiment conducted at Laue-Langevin Institute, Grenoble, with ultracold neutrons was recently reported in a series of publications. The purpose of the present work is to analyze the experiment. The experimental apparatus is designed to measure a transmission function T(za), namely, a horizontal flux of relatively fast neutrons (k≫kz in wavelength terms) passing through a slit of variable height za of upper absorbing wall. The quantum states in question are defined by the so-called Airy functions, which are solutions to the stationary 1D equation for a neutron “bouncing” above the perfect mirror in a linear potential field. The Airy functions describe the quantum bouncer (QB), the concept of which is subject to theoretical study of toy 1D models of gravitationally bound particles in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics (QM). This is essentially different from the 3D nonstationary QM object, “the running QB,” investigated in the experiment. The authors assume that there is a connection between T(za) and the probability density distribution P(z,za) for QB states. They devised the “phenomenological model,” in which the quantum pattern should be visible in the transmission curve. We argue, however, that the measured curve T(za) is not sensitive to QB states. Instead, it is sensitive to dynamics of neutron horizontal transport inside the absorbing slit for neutrons of energy values about 105 times greater than eigenvalues En. The latter are related to the neutron transverse mode kz and cannot be termed “energies of neutron gravitational quantum states.” We conclude that the experiment setup and real conditions are not adequate to the claimed objective, and the methodology of measured data treatment is flawed. The authors’ claim that “neutron gravitational quantum states are observed” is neither theoretically nor experimentally substantiated. Final, statistically significant results of the experiment are consistent with our physical reasoning that the experiment is not sensitive to “neutron gravitational quantum states” (in terms of Airy mode) and does not prove even their existence in rigorous quantum-mechanical terms.

Ultracold Molecules in Optical Lattices: Efficient Production and Application to Molecular Clocks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-03

near the intercombination- line threshold were measured for a variety of states, and explained by considering nonadiabatic effects ( Coriolis coupling) in...Moszynski, T. Zelevinsky. Nonadiabatic Effects in Ultracold Molecules via Anomalous Linear and Quadratic Zeeman Shifts, Physical Review Letters, (12...M. McDonald, G. Reinaudi, W. Skomorowski, R. Moszynski, T. Zelevinsky. Measurement of Nonadiabatic Effects in Ultracold Molecules via Anomalous

Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium Condensation Phenomena in Tuneable 3D and 2D Bose Gases

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

condensed gas " which remains condensed above the expected critical temperature, and performed one of the first studies of the strongly-interacting "unitary...34 Bose gas . With the 2d harmonic trap we showed how the interaction-driven BKT phase is connected with purely statistical theory, and with the 3d...box trap we created the world’s first atomic BEC in a quasi-uniform potential. 15. SUBJECT TERMS EOARD, Bose gas , ultracold, condensation, equilibrium

Focus on out-of-equilibrium dynamics in strongly interacting one-dimensional systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daley, A. J.; Rigol, M.; Weiss, D. S.

2014-09-01

In the past few years, there have been significant advances in understanding out-of-equilibrium dynamics in strongly interacting many-particle quantum systems. This is the case for 1D dynamics, where experimental advances—both with ultracold atomic gases and with solid state systems—have been accompanied by advances in theoretical methods, both analytical and numerical. This ‘focus on’ collection brings together 17 new papers, which together give a representative overview of the recent advances.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rees, Brian G.

These are slides from a presentation on the basics of neutrons. A few topics covered are: common origins of terrestrial neutron radiation, neutron sources, neutron energy, interactions, detecting neutrons, gammas from neutron interactions, neutron signatures in gamma-ray spectra, neutrons and NaI, neutron fluence to dose (msV), instruments' response to neutrons.

Mode-Locked Deceleration of Molecular Beams: Physics with Ultracold Molecules

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-07

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2017-0035 Mode-Locked Deceleration of Molecular Beams: Physics with Ultracold Molecules Wesley Campbell UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA...REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) April 2013 - June 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Mode-Locked Deceleration of Molecular Beams: Physics with...of Molecular Beams: Physics with Ultracold Molecules" P.I. Wesley C. Campbell Report Period: April 1, 2013- March 30, 2016 As a direct result of

Mode-coupling of interaction quenched ultracold bosons in periodically driven lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistakidis, Simeon; Schmelcher, Peter

2016-05-01

The out-of-equilibrium dynamics of interaction quenched finite ultracold bosonic ensembles in periodically driven one-dimensional optical lattices is investigated. As a first attempt a brief analysis of the dynamics caused exclusively by the periodically driven lattice is presented and the induced low-lying modes are introduced. It is shown that the periodic driving enforces the bosons in the outer wells to exhibit out-of-phase dipole-like modes, while in the central well the cloud experiences a local-breathing mode. The dynamical behavior of the system is investigated with respect to the driving frequency, revealing a resonant-like behavior of the intra-well dynamics. Subsequently, we drive the system to a highly non-equilibrium state by performing an interaction quench upon the periodically driven lattice. This protocol gives rise to admixtures of excitations in the outer wells, an enhanced breathing in the center and an amplification of the tunneling dynamics. As a result (of the quench) the system experiences multiple resonances between the inter- and intra-well dynamics at different quench amplitudes. Finally, our study reveals that the position of the resonances can be adjusted e.g. via the driving frequency or the atom number manifesting their many-body nature. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the framework of the SFB 925 ``Light induced dynamics and control of correlated quantum systems''.

Layered semiconductor neutron detectors

DOEpatents

Mao, Samuel S; Perry, Dale L

2013-12-10

Room temperature operating solid state hand held neutron detectors integrate one or more relatively thin layers of a high neutron interaction cross-section element or materials with semiconductor detectors. The high neutron interaction cross-section element (e.g., Gd, B or Li) or materials comprising at least one high neutron interaction cross-section element can be in the form of unstructured layers or micro- or nano-structured arrays. Such architecture provides high efficiency neutron detector devices by capturing substantially more carriers produced from high energy .alpha.-particles or .gamma.-photons generated by neutron interaction.

Coherent Spectroscopy of Ultra-Cold Mercury for the UV to VUV

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-20

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2015-0388 COHERENT SPECTROSCOPY OF ULTRA-COLD MERCURY FOR THE UV TO VUV R Jason Jones ARIZONA UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS TUCSON Final...TITLE AND SUBTITLE COHERENT SPECTROSCOPY OF ULTRA-COLD MERCURY FOR THE UV TO VUV 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA9550-09-1-0563 5c. PROGRAM...NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Distribution A 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Narrow UV transitions in atomic Hg can be utilized

Effective Mass Calculations for Two-dimensional Gas of Dipolar Fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seydi, I.; Abedinpour, S. H.; Tanatar, B.

2017-06-01

We consider a two-dimensional system of ultracold dipolar fermions with dipole moments aligned in the perpendicular direction. We use the static structure factor information from Fermi-Hypernetted-Chain calculations to obtain the effective many-body dipole-dipole interaction and calculate the many-body effective mass of the system within the G0W approximation to the self-energy. A large cancellation between different contributions to the self-energy results in a weak dependence of the effective mass on the interaction strength over a large range of coupling constants.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang Peng; Department of Physics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872; Naidon, Pascal

Most of the current theories on the p-wave superfluid in cold atomic gases are based on the effective-range theory for the two-body scattering, where the low-energy p-wave scattering amplitude f{sub 1}(k) is given by f{sub 1}(k)=-1/[ik+1/(Vk{sup 2})+1/R]. Here k is the incident momentum, V and R are the k-independent scattering volume and effective range, respectively. However, due to the long-range nature of the van der Waals interaction between two colliding ultracold atoms, the p-wave scattering amplitude of the two atoms is not described by the effective-range theory [J. Math. Phys. 4, 54 (1963); Phys. Rev. A 58, 4222 (1998)]. Inmore » this paper we provide an explicit calculation for the p-wave scattering of two ultracold atoms near the p-wave magnetic Feshbach resonance. We show that in this case the low-energy p-wave scattering amplitude f{sub 1}(k)=-1/[ik+1/(V{sup eff}k{sup 2})+1/(S{sup eff}k)+1/R{sup eff}] where V{sup eff}, S{sup eff}, and R{sup eff} are k-dependent parameters. Based on this result, we identify sufficient conditions for the effective-range theory to be a good approximation of the exact scattering amplitude. Using these conditions we show that the effective-range theory is a good approximation for the p-wave scattering in the ultracold gases of {sup 6}Li and {sup 40}K when the scattering volume is enhanced by the resonance.« less

SO(3) "Nuclear Physics" with ultracold Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rico, E.; Dalmonte, M.; Zoller, P.; Banerjee, D.; Bögli, M.; Stebler, P.; Wiese, U.-J.

2018-06-01

An ab initio calculation of nuclear physics from Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the fundamental SU(3) gauge theory of the strong interaction, remains an outstanding challenge. Here, we discuss the emergence of key elements of nuclear physics using an SO(3) lattice gauge theory as a toy model for QCD. We show that this model is accessible to state-of-the-art quantum simulation experiments with ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. First, we demonstrate that our model shares characteristic many-body features with QCD, such as the spontaneous breakdown of chiral symmetry, its restoration at finite baryon density, as well as the existence of few-body bound states. Then we show that in the one-dimensional case, the dynamics in the gauge invariant sector can be encoded as a spin S = 3/2 Heisenberg model, i.e., as quantum magnetism, which has a natural realization with bosonic mixtures in optical lattices, and thus sheds light on the connection between non-Abelian gauge theories and quantum magnetism.

Evolution from Rydberg gas to ultracold plasma in a supersonic atomic beam of Xe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, J.; Sadeghi, H.; Schulz-Weiling, M.; Grant, E. R.

2014-08-01

A Rydberg gas of xenon, entrained in a supersonic atomic beam, evolves slowly to form an ultracold plasma. In the early stages of this evolution, when the free-electron density is low, Rydberg atoms undergo long-range \\ell -mixing collisions, yielding states of high orbital angular momentum. The development of high-\\ell states promotes dipole-dipole interactions that help to drive Penning ionization. The electron density increases until it reaches the threshold for avalanche. Ninety μs after the production of a Rydberg gas with the initial state, {{n}_{0}}{{\\ell }_{0}}=42d, a 432 V cm-1 electrostatic pulse fails to separate charge in the excited volume, an effect which is ascribed to screening by free electrons. Photoexcitation cross sections, observed rates of \\ell -mixing, and a coupled-rate-equation model simulating the onset of the electron-impact avalanche point consistently to an initial Rydberg gas density of 5\\times {{10}^{8}}\\;c{{m}^{-3}}.

Superstatistical Energy Distributions of an Ion in an Ultracold Buffer Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouse, I.; Willitsch, S.

2017-04-01

An ion in a radio frequency ion trap interacting with a buffer gas of ultracold neutral atoms is a driven dynamical system which has been found to develop a nonthermal energy distribution with a power law tail. The exact analytical form of this distribution is unknown, but has often been represented empirically by q -exponential (Tsallis) functions. Based on the concepts of superstatistics, we introduce a framework for the statistical mechanics of an ion trapped in an rf field subject to collisions with a buffer gas. We derive analytic ion secular energy distributions from first principles both neglecting and including the effects of the thermal energy of the buffer gas. For a buffer gas with a finite temperature, we prove that Tsallis statistics emerges from the combination of a constant heating term and multiplicative energy fluctuations. We show that the resulting distributions essentially depend on experimentally controllable parameters paving the way for an accurate control of the statistical properties of ion-atom hybrid systems.

Interaction-induced effects on Bose-Hubbard parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Mark; Sachdeva, Rashi; Benseny, Albert; Busch, Thomas

2017-12-01

We study the effects of repulsive on-site interactions on the broadening of the localized Wannier functions used for calculating the parameters to describe ultracold atoms in optical lattices. For this, we replace the common single-particle Wannier functions, which do not contain any information about the interactions, by two-particle Wannier functions obtained from an exact solution which takes the interactions into account. We then use these interaction-dependent basis functions to calculate the Bose-Hubbard model parameters, showing that they are substantially different both at low and high lattice depths from the ones calculated using single-particle Wannier functions. Our results suggest that density effects are not negligible for many parameter ranges and need to be taken into account in metrology experiments.

Photodissociation of ultracold diatomic strontium molecules with quantum state control.

PubMed

McDonald, M; McGuyer, B H; Apfelbeck, F; Lee, C-H; Majewska, I; Moszynski, R; Zelevinsky, T

2016-07-07

Chemical reactions at ultracold temperatures are expected to be dominated by quantum mechanical effects. Although progress towards ultracold chemistry has been made through atomic photoassociation, Feshbach resonances and bimolecular collisions, these approaches have been limited by imperfect quantum state selectivity. In particular, attaining complete control of the ground or excited continuum quantum states has remained a challenge. Here we achieve this control using photodissociation, an approach that encodes a wealth of information in the angular distribution of outgoing fragments. By photodissociating ultracold (88)Sr2 molecules with full control of the low-energy continuum, we access the quantum regime of ultracold chemistry, observing resonant and nonresonant barrier tunnelling, matter-wave interference of reaction products and forbidden reaction pathways. Our results illustrate the failure of the traditional quasiclassical model of photodissociation and instead are accurately described by a quantum mechanical model. The experimental ability to produce well-defined quantum continuum states at low energies will enable high-precision studies of long-range molecular potentials for which accurate quantum chemistry models are unavailable, and may serve as a source of entangled states and coherent matter waves for a wide range of experiments in quantum optics.

Spectroscopy of Dipolar Fermions in Layered Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Lattices

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-06

Moreover, we consider other sources of spectral broadening: interaction-induced quasiparticle lifetimes and the different polarizabilities of the...and study Cooper pair binding [7,8], polaron quasiparticle residue [9], and pseudogap behavior of ultracold fermions across the BEC/BCS crossover [10...imaginary part of this energy is the quasiparticle lifetime, and the only source of quasiparticle decay is the p-wave particle loss. Thus the cloud

Kinetic Energy Oscillations during Disorder Induced Heating in an Ultracold Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langin, Thomas; McQuillen, Patrick; Strickler, Trevor; Pohl, Thomas; Killian, Thomas

2015-05-01

Ultracold neutral plasmas of strontium are generated by photoionizing laser-cooled atoms at temperature TMOT ~ 10 mK and density n ~1016 m-3 in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). After photoionization, the ions heat to ~ 1 K by a mechanism known as Disorder Induced Heating (DIH). During DIH kinetic energy oscillations (KEO) occur at a frequency ~ 2ωpi , where ωpi is the plasma frequency, indicating coupling to collective modes of the plasma. Electron screening also comes into play by changing the interaction from a Coulomb to a Yukawa interaction. Although DIH has been previously studied, improved measurements combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allow us to probe new aspects. We demonstrate a measurement of the damping of the KEO due to electron screening which agrees with the MD simulations. We show that the MD simulations can be used to fit experimental DIH curves for plasma density n, resulting in very accurate density measurements. Finally, we discuss how ion temperature measurements are affected by the non-thermal distribution of the ions during the early stages of DIH. This work was supported by the United States National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy (PHY-0714603), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550- 12-1-0267), the Shell Foundation, and the Department of Defense (NDSEG Fellowship)

Tunneling and traversal of ultracold three-level atoms through vacuum-induced potentials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Badshah, Fazal; Irfan, Muhammad; Qamar, Shahid

2011-09-15

The passage of ultracold three-level atoms through the potential induced by the vacuum cavity mode is discussed using cascade atomic configuration. We study the tunneling or traversal time of the ultracold atoms via a bimodal high-Q cavity. It is found that the phase time, which may be considered as a measure for the time required to traverse the cavity, exhibits superclassical and subclassical behaviors. Further, the dark states and interference effects in cascade atomic configuration may influence the passage time of the atom through the cavity.

Probing and Manipulating Ultracold Fermi Superfluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Lei

Ultracold Fermi gas is an exciting field benefiting from atomic physics, optical physics and condensed matter physics. It covers many aspects of quantum mechanics. Here I introduce some of my work during my graduate study. We proposed an optical spectroscopic method based on electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) as a generic probing tool that provides valuable insights into the nature of Fermi paring in ultracold Fermi gases of two hyperfine states. This technique has the capability of allowing spectroscopic response to be determined in a nearly non-destructive manner and the whole spectrum may be obtained by scanning the probe laser frequency faster than the lifetime of the sample without re-preparing the atomic sample repeatedly. Both quasiparticle picture and pseudogap picture are constructed to facilitate the physical explanation of the pairing signature in the EIT spectra. Motivated by the prospect of realizing a Fermi gas of 40K atoms with a synthetic non-Abelian gauge field, we investigated theoretically BEC-HCS crossover physics in the presence of a Rashba spin-orbit coupling in a system of two-component Fermi gas with and without a Zeeman field that breaks the population balance. A new bound state (Rashba pair) emerges because of the spin-orbit interaction. We studied the properties of Rashba pairs using a standard pair fluctuation theory. As the two-fold spin degeneracy is lifted by spin-orbit interaction, bound pairs with mixed singlet and triplet pairings (referred to as rashbons) emerge, leading to an anisotropic superfluid. We discussed in detail the experimental signatures for observing the condensation of Rashba pairs by calculating various physical observables which characterize the properties of the system and can be measured in experiment. The role of impurities as experimental probes in the detection of quantum material properties is well appreciated. Here we studied the effect of a single classical impurity in trapped ultracold Fermi superfluids. Although a non-magnetic impurity does not change macroscopic properties of s-wave Fermi superfluids, depending on its shape and strength, a magnetic impurity can induce single or multiple mid-gap bound states. The multiple mid-gap states could coincide with the development of a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase within the superfluid. As an analog of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope, we proposed a modified radio frequency spectroscopic method to measure the focal density of states which can be employed to detect these states and other quantum phases of cold atoms. A key result of our self consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes calculations is that a magnetic impurity can controllably induce an FFLO state at currently accessible experimental parameters.

Thermometry of ultracold atoms by electromagnetically induced transparency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Thorsten; Wittrock, Benjamin; Blatt, Frank; Halfmann, Thomas; Yatsenko, Leonid P.

2012-06-01

We report on systematic numerical and experimental investigations of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to determine temperatures in an ultracold atomic gas. The technique relies on the strong dependence of EIT on atomic motion (i.e., Doppler shifts), when the relevant atomic transitions are driven with counterpropagating probe and control laser beams. Electromagnetically induced transparency permits thermometry with satisfactory precision over a large temperature range, which can be addressed by the appropriate choice of Rabi frequency in the control beam. In contrast to time-of-flight techniques, thermometry by EIT is fast and nondestructive, i.e., essentially it does not affect the ultracold medium. In an experimental demonstration we apply both EIT and time-of-flight measurements to determine temperatures along different symmetry axes of an anisotropic ultracold gas. As an interesting feature we find that the temperatures in the anisotropic atom cloud vary in different directions.

Non-destructive Faraday imaging of dynamically controlled ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajdacz, Miroslav; Pedersen, Poul; Mørch, Troels; Hilliard, Andrew; Arlt, Jan; Sherson, Jacob

2013-05-01

We investigate non-destructive measurements of ultra-cold atomic clouds based on dark field imaging of spatially resolved Faraday rotation. In particular, we pursue applications to dynamically controlled ultracold atoms. The dependence of the Faraday signal on laser detuning, atomic density and temperature is characterized in a detailed comparison with theory. In particular the destructivity per measurement is extremely low and we illustrate this by imaging the same cloud up to 2000 times. The technique is applied to avoid the effect of shot-to-shot fluctuations in atom number calibration. Adding dynamic changes to system parameters, we demonstrate single-run vector magnetic field imaging and single-run spatial imaging of the system's dynamic behavior. The method can be implemented particularly easily in standard imaging systems by the insertion of an extra polarizing beam splitter. These results are steps towards quantum state engineering using feedback control of ultracold atoms.

Neutron induced background in the COMPTEL detector on the Gamma Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, D. J.; Aarts, H.; Bennett, K.; Busetta, M.; Byrd, R.; Collmar, W.; Connors, A.; Diehl, R.; Eymann, G.; Foster, C.

1992-01-01

Interactions of neutrons in a prototype of the Compton imaging telescope (COMPTEL) gamma ray detector for the Gamma Ray Observatory were studied to determine COMPTEL's sensitivity as a neutron telescope and to estimate the gamma ray background resulting from neutron interactions. The IUCF provided a pulsed neutron beam at five different energies between 18 and 120 MeV. These measurements showed that the gamma ray background from neutron interactions is greater than previously expected. It was thought that most such events would be due to interactions in the upper detector modules of COMPTEL and could be distinguished by pulse shape discrimination. Rather, the bulk of the gamma ray background appears to be due to interactions in passive material, primarily aluminum, surrounding the D1 modules. In a considerable fraction of these interactions, two or more gamma rays are produced simultaneously, with one interacting in the D1 module and the other interacting in the module of the lower (D2) detector. If the neutron interacts near the D1 module, the D1 D2 time of flight cannot distinguish such an event from a true gamma ray event. In order to assess the significance of this background, the flux of neutrons in orbit has been estimated based on observed events with neutron pulse shape signature in D1. The strength of this neutron induced background is estimated. This is compared with the rate expected from the isotropic cosmic gamma ray flux.

Neutron range spectrometer

DOEpatents

Manglos, Stephen H.

1989-06-06

A neutron range spectrometer and method for determining the neutron energy spectrum of a neutron emitting source are disclosed. Neutrons from the source are collimnated along a collimation axis and a position sensitive neutron counter is disposed in the path of the collimated neutron beam. The counter determines positions along the collimation axis of interactions between the neutrons in the neutron beam and a neutron-absorbing material in the counter. From the interaction positions, a computer analyzes the data and determines the neutron energy spectrum of the neutron beam. The counter is preferably shielded and a suitable neutron-absorbing material is He-3. The computer solves the following equation in the analysis: ##EQU1## where: N(x).DELTA.x=the number of neutron interactions measured between a position x and x+.DELTA.x, A.sub.i (E.sub.i).DELTA.E.sub.i =the number of incident neutrons with energy between E.sub.i and E.sub.i +.DELTA.E.sub.i, and C=C(E.sub.i)=N .sigma.(E.sub.i) where N=the number density of absorbing atoms in the position sensitive counter means and .sigma. (E.sub.i)=the average cross section of the absorbing interaction between E.sub.i and E.sub.i +.DELTA.E.sub.i.

JILA BEC/Ultracold Atoms Homepage

Science.gov Websites

JILA BEC & Ultracold Atoms Bose Einstein Condensate Eric Cornell Cornell Group Debbie Jin Jin Group Jun Ye Ye Group Dana Anderson Anderson Group What is BEC? Easy BEC Machine Nobel BEC BibTek Papers

Focus on strongly correlated quantum fluids: from ultracold quantum gases to QCD plasmas Focus on strongly correlated quantum fluids: from ultracold quantum gases to QCD plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Allan; Carr, Lincoln D.; Schaefer, Thomas; Steinberg, Peter; Thomas, John E.

2013-04-01

The last few years have witnessed a dramatic convergence of three distinct lines of research concerned with different kinds of extreme quantum matter. Two of these involve new quantum fluids that can be studied in the laboratory, ultracold quantum gases and quantum chromodynamics (QCD) plasmas. Even though these systems involve vastly different energy scales, the physical properties of the two quantum fluids are remarkably similar. The third line of research is based on the discovery of a new theoretical tool for investigating the properties of extreme quantum matter, holographic dualties. The main goal of this focus issue is to foster communication and understanding between these three fields. We proceed to describe each in more detail. Ultracold quantum gases offer a new paradigm for the study of nonperturbative quantum many-body physics. With widely tunable interaction strength, spin composition, and temperature, using different hyperfine states one can model spin-1/2 fermions, spin-3/2 fermions, and many other spin structures of bosons, fermions, and mixtures thereof. Such systems have produced a revolution in the study of strongly interacting Fermi systems, for example in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) to Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) crossover region, where a close collaboration between experimentalists and theorists—typical in this field—enabled ground-breaking studies in an area spanning several decades. Half-way through this crossover, when the scattering length characterizing low-energy collisions diverges, one obtains a unitary quantum gas, which is universal and scale invariant. The unitary gas has close parallels in the hydrodynamics of QCD plasmas, where the ratio of viscosity to entropy density is extremely low and comparable to the minimum viscosity conjecture, an important prediction of AdS/CFT (see below). Exciting developments in the thermodynamic and transport properties of strongly interacting Fermi gases are of broad interdisciplinary appeal and include new studies of high temperature superfluidity, viscosity, spin-transport, spin-imbalanced mixtures, and three-component gases, this last having a close parallel to color superconductivity. Another system important for the field of strongly-interacting quantum fluids was revealed by analysis of data from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Despite naive expectations based on asymptotic freedom that the deconfinement of quarks and gluons at high temperatures would lead to a weakly-interacting quark gluon plasma (QGP), the system appeared to be quite strongly coupled. Subsequent estimates of the viscosity-to-entropy ratio suggest that the system is tantalizingly close to the postulated bound from AdS/CFT calculations. The field is quite dynamic at the moment; new measurements are expected from upgraded detectors at RHIC, and an entirely new energy regime is being opened up by heavy ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. On the theoretical side, much work remains to be done to extract the precise values of the transport coefficients, and to characterize the nature of quasi-particle excitations in the plasma. Finally, holographic dualities such as anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) have opened a new theoretical window on strongly correlated fluids. Holography relates strongly-interacting quantum many-body systems to weakly-coupled semi-classical gravitational systems, replacing quasiparticles with geometry and translating various difficult questions about quantum fluids into simple and calculable geometric exercises. Already, some of the earliest lessons of holography, such as the conjectural bound on the viscosity-to-entropy ratio, have had a considerable impact on the theoretical and experimental study of strongly correlated fluids, from RHIC to ultracold atoms. More recently, the study of holographic superconductors, non-Fermi liquids and unitary quantum gases has touched off a flurry of interest in holography as a toolkit for studying strongly-correlated many-body systems more generally. Holography also allows us to use results from quantum fluids to study classical and quantum gravity; for example, the phase structure of a quantum many-body system translates into a rich classification of black holes in the dual space-time. Given both the rapid progress in applied holography and the exciting developments in ultracold quantum gases and QCD plasmas discussed above, the time is ripe for new collaborations across traditional lines of specialization. This focus issue explores the convergence between three heretofore separate areas of physics. Over forty research groups have contributed original work, and there will be a review article which complements these advances, overviewing them and presenting them in the context of all three fields and their interconnections. The review concludes with a list of open questions. This sets the tone for the present focus issue; namely, interdisciplinary dialog, openness, innovation, and possibility, an emphasis for which New Journal of Physics, an open-access journal of the highest quality, is especially fitted.

The Los ALamos Neutron Science Center Hydrogen Moderator System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarmer, J. J.; Knudson, J. N.

2006-04-01

At the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), spallation neutrons are produced by an 800-MeV proton beam interacting with tungsten targets. Gun-barrel-type penetrations through the heavy concrete and steel shielding that surround the targets collimate neutrons to form neutron beams used for scattering experiments. Two liquid hydrogen moderators of one-liter volume each are positioned adjacent to the neutron-production targets. Some of the neutrons that pass through a moderator interact with or scatter from protons in the hydrogen. The neutron-proton interaction reduces the energy or moderates neutrons to lower energies. Lower energy "moderated" neutrons are the most useful for some neutron scattering experiments. We provide a description of the LANSCE hydrogen-moderator system and its cryogenic performance with proton beams of up to 125 micro-amp average current.

Manufacturing a thin wire electrostatic trap for ultracold polar molecules.

PubMed

Kleinert, J; Haimberger, C; Zabawa, P J; Bigelow, N P

2007-11-01

We present a detailed description on how to build a thin wire electrostatic trap (TWIST) for ultracold polar molecules. It is the first design of an electrostatic trap that can be superimposed directly onto a magneto-optical trap (MOT). We can thus continuously produce ultracold polar molecules via photoassociation from a two species MOT and instantaneously trap them in the TWIST without the need for complex transfer schemes. Despite the spatial overlap of the TWIST and the MOT, the two traps can be operated and optimized completely independently due to the complementary nature of the utilized trapping mechanisms.

Trapping of ultracold polar molecules with a thin-wire electrostatic trap.

PubMed

Kleinert, J; Haimberger, C; Zabawa, P J; Bigelow, N P

2007-10-05

We describe the realization of a dc electric-field trap for ultracold polar molecules, the thin-wire electrostatic trap (TWIST). The thin wires that form the electrodes of the TWIST allow us to superimpose the trap onto a magneto-optical trap (MOT). In our experiment, ultracold polar NaCs molecules in their electronic ground state are created in the MOT via photoassociation, achieving a continuous accumulation in the TWIST of molecules in low-field seeking states. Initial measurements show that the TWIST trap lifetime is limited only by the background pressure in the chamber.

Preparation of Ultracold Atom Clouds at the Shot Noise Level.

PubMed

Gajdacz, M; Hilliard, A J; Kristensen, M A; Pedersen, P L; Klempt, C; Arlt, J J; Sherson, J F

2016-08-12

We prepare number stabilized ultracold atom clouds through the real-time analysis of nondestructive images and the application of feedback. In our experiments, the atom number N∼10^{6} is determined by high precision Faraday imaging with uncertainty ΔN below the shot noise level, i.e., ΔN

Neutron range spectrometer

DOEpatents

Manglos, S.H.

1988-03-10

A neutron range spectrometer and method for determining the neutron energy spectrum of a neutron emitting source are disclosed. Neutrons from the source are colliminated along a collimation axis and a position sensitive neutron counter is disposed in the path of the collimated neutron beam. The counter determines positions along the collimation axis of interactions between the neutrons in the neutron beam and a neutron-absorbing material in the counter. From the interaction positions, a computer analyzes the data and determines the neutron energy spectrum of the neutron beam. The counter is preferably shielded and a suitable neutron-absorbing material is He-3. 1 fig.

Reactive Collisions and Interactions of Ultracold Dipolar Atoms

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-29

DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 2. REPORT TYPE 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) 9...SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM( S ) 13. SUPPLEMENTARY...NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER( S ) 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER

Engineered Potentials and Dynamics of Ultracold Quantum Gases Under the Microscope

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-09

CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER: DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL INSTITUTION: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Paola Cappellaro TYPE REPORT: Ph.D. Dissertation PERIOD...CONTRACT NUMBER Engineered potentials and dynamics of ulu·acold quantum gases W911NF-11-1-0400 under the microscope Sb. GRANT NUMBER Sc. PROGRAM...Schnorrberger, M. Moreno- Cardoner , S. Fölling, and I. Bloch, “Counting atoms using interaction blockade in an optical superlat- tice,” Phys. Rev. Lett

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trahan, Alexis Chanel

The objectives of this presentation are to introduce the basic physics of neutron production, interactions and detection; identify the processes that generate neutrons; explain the most common neutron mechanism, spontaneous and induced fission and (a,n) reactions; describe the properties of neutron from different sources; recognize advantages of neutron measurements techniques; recognize common neutrons interactions; explain neutron cross section measurements; describe the fundamental of 3He detector function and designs; and differentiate between passive and active assay techniques.

Ultracold atoms in an optical lattice one millimeter from air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jervis, Dylan; Edge, Graham; Trotzky, Stefan; McKay, David; Thywissen, Joseph

2013-05-01

Over the past decade, ultracold atoms in optical lattices have shown to be versatile systems able to realize canonical Hamiltonians of condensed matter. High-resolution in-situ imaging of ultracold clouds has furthermore enabled thermometry, equation of state measurements, direct measurement of fluctuations, and unprecedented control. We report on microscopy of ultracold bosons and fermions in a novel configuration where the atoms are harmonically trapped 800 microns away from a 200 micron-thick vacuum window. This window also serves as a retro-reflecting mirror for an optical lattice, into which the atoms can be loaded. Two additional transverse standing waves complete the three-dimensional lattice setup. In free space, we have shown that laser cooling with 405 nm light, on the open 4S1/2-5P3/2 transition, allows for temperatures below the Doppler temperature of the 4S1/2-4P3/2 cycling transition at 767 nm. Microscopy with 405 nm light furthermore reduces the diffraction limit of in-situ imaging.

Dipolar collisions of ultracold 23Na87Rb molecules.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Mingyang; Ye, Xin; He, Junyu; Quéméner, Goulven; González-Martínez, Maykel; Dulieu, Olivier; Wang, Dajun

2017-04-01

Although ultracold polar molecules have long been proposed as a primary candidate for investigating dipolar many body physics, many of their basic properties, like their collisions in external electric fields, are still largely unknown. In fact, despite the successful production of several new ultracold molecular species in the last two years, so far the only available dipolar collision data is still from JILA's fermionic 40K87Rb experiment in 2010. In this talk, we will describe our investigation on dipolar collisions of ultracold bosonic and chemically stable 23Na87Rb molecules which possess a large permanent electric dipole moment. With a moderate electric field, an effective dipole moment large enough to strongly couple higher partial waves into the collisions can be achieved. We will report the influence of this effect on the molecular collisions observed in our experiment. Our theoretical model for understanding these observations will also be presented. This work is supported by the Hong Kong RGC CUHK404712 and the ANR/RGC Joint Research Scheme ACUHK403/13.

The geometric phase controls ultracold chemistry

DOE PAGES

Kendrick, B. K.; Hazra, Jisha; Balakrishnan, N.

2015-07-30

In this study, the geometric phase is shown to control the outcome of an ultracold chemical reaction. The control is a direct consequence of the sign change on the interference term between two scattering pathways (direct and looping), which contribute to the reactive collision process in the presence of a conical intersection (point of degeneracy between two Born–Oppenheimer electronic potential energy surfaces). The unique properties of the ultracold energy regime lead to an effective quantization of the scattering phase shift enabling maximum constructive or destructive interference between the two pathways. By taking the O + OH → H + Omore » 2 reaction as an illustrative example, it is shown that inclusion of the geometric phase modifies ultracold reaction rates by nearly two orders of magnitude. Interesting experimental control possibilities include the application of external electric and magnetic fields that might be used to exploit the geometric phase effect reported here and experimentally switch on or off the reactivity.« less

Casimir forces between defects in one-dimensional quantum liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recati, A.; Fuchs, J. N.; Peça, C. S.; Zwerger, W.

2005-08-01

We discuss the effective interactions between two localized perturbations in one-dimensional quantum liquids. For noninteracting fermions, the interactions exhibit Friedel oscillations, giving rise to a Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-type interaction familiar from impurity spins in metals. In the interacting case, at low energies, a Luttinger-liquid description applies. In the case of repulsive fermions, the Friedel oscillations of the interacting system are replaced, at long distances, by a universal Casimir-type interaction which depends only on the sound velocity and decays inversely with the separation. The Casimir-type interaction between localized perturbations embedded in a fermionic environment gives rise to a long-range coupling between quantum dots in ultracold Fermi gases, opening an alternative to couple qubits with neutral atoms. We also briefly discuss the case of bosonic quantum liquids in which the interaction between weak impurities turns out to be short ranged, decaying exponentially on the scale of the healing length.

Enhancing light-atom interactions via atomic bunching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmittberger, Bonnie L.; Gauthier, Daniel J.

2014-07-01

There is a broad interest in enhancing the strength of light-atom interactions to the point where injecting a single photon induces a nonlinear material response. Here we show theoretically that sub-Doppler-cooled two-level atoms that are spatially organized by weak optical fields give rise to a nonlinear material response that is greatly enhanced beyond that attainable in a homogeneous gas. Specifically, in the regime where the intensity of the applied optical fields is much less than the off-resonance saturation intensity, we show that the third-order nonlinear susceptibility scales inversely with atomic temperature and, due to this scaling, can be two orders of magnitude larger than that of a homogeneous gas for typical experimental parameters. As a result, we predict that spatially bunched two-level atoms can exhibit single-photon nonlinearities. Our model is valid for all regimes of atomic bunching and simultaneously accounts for the backaction of the atoms on the optical fields. Our results agree with previous theoretical and experimental results for light-atom interactions that have considered only limited regimes of atomic bunching. For lattice beams tuned to the low-frequency side of the atomic transition, we find that the nonlinearity transitions from a self-focusing type to a self-defocusing type at a critical intensity. We also show that higher than third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities are significant in the regime where the dipole potential energy is on the order of the atomic thermal energy. We therefore find that it is crucial to retain high-order nonlinearities to accurately predict interactions of laser fields with spatially organized ultracold atoms. The model presented here is a foundation for modeling low-light-level nonlinear optical processes for ultracold atoms in optical lattices.

Quantum Phase Transitions in the Bose Hubbard Model and in a Bose-Fermi Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duchon, Eric Nicholas

Ultracold atomic gases may be the ultimate quantum simulator. These isolated systems have the lowest temperatures in the observable universe, and their properties and interactions can be precisely and accurately tuned across a full spectrum of behaviors, from few-body physics to highly-correlated many-body effects. The ability to impose potentials on and tune interactions within ultracold gases to mimic complex systems mean they could become a theorist's playground. One of their great strengths, however, is also one of the largest obstacles to this dream: isolation. This thesis touches on both of these themes. First, methods to characterize phases and quantum critical points, and to construct finite temperature phase diagrams using experimentally accessible observables in the Bose Hubbard model are discussed. Then, the transition from a weakly to a strongly interacting Bose-Fermi mixture in the continuum is analyzed using zero temperature numerical techniques. Real materials can be emulated by ultracold atomic gases loaded into optical lattice potentials. We discuss the characteristics of a single boson species trapped in an optical lattice (described by the Bose Hubbard model) and the hallmarks of the quantum critical region that separates the superfluid and the Mott insulator ground states. We propose a method to map the quantum critical region using the single, experimentally accessible, local quantity R, the ratio of compressibility to local number fluctuations. The procedure to map a phase diagram with R is easily generalized to inhomogeneous systems and generic many-body Hamiltonians. We illustrate it here using quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the 2D Bose Hubbard model. Secondly, we investigate the transition from a degenerate Fermi gas weakly coupled to a Bose Einstein condensate to the strong coupling limit of composite boson-fermion molecules. We propose a variational wave function to investigate the ground state properties of such a Bose-Fermi mixture with equal population, as a function of increasing attraction between bosons and fermions. The variational wave function captures the weak and the strong coupling limits and at intermediate coupling we make two predictions using zero temperature quantum Monte Carlo methods: (I) a complete destruction of the atomic Fermi surface and emergence of a molecular Fermi sea that coexists with a remnant of the Bose-Einstein condensate, and (II) evidence for enhanced short-ranged fermion-fermion correlations mediated by bosons.

Control of Ultracold Photodissociation with Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, M.; Majewska, I.; Lee, C.-H.; Kondov, S. S.; McGuyer, B. H.; Moszynski, R.; Zelevinsky, T.

2018-01-01

Photodissociation of a molecule produces a spatial distribution of photofragments determined by the molecular structure and the characteristics of the dissociating light. Performing this basic reaction at ultracold temperatures allows its quantum mechanical features to dominate. In this regime, weak applied fields can be used to control the reaction. Here, we photodissociate ultracold diatomic strontium in magnetic fields below 10 G and observe striking changes in photofragment angular distributions. The observations are in excellent agreement with a multichannel quantum chemistry model that includes nonadiabatic effects and predicts strong mixing of partial waves in the photofragment energy continuum. The experiment is enabled by precise quantum-state control of the molecules.

Self-diffusion and conductivity in an ultracold strongly coupled plasma: Calculation by the method of molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zelener, B. B.; Zelener, B. V.; Manykin, E. A.; Bronin, S. Ya; Bobrov, A. A.; Khikhlukha, D. R.

2018-01-01

We present results of calculations by the method of molecular dynamics of self-diffusion and conductivity of electron and ion components of ultracold plasma in a comparison with available theoretical and experimental data. For the ion self-diffusion coefficient, good agreement was obtained with experiments on ultracold plasma. The results of the calculation of self-diffusion also agree well with other calculations performed for the same values of the coupling parameter, but at high temperatures. The difference in the results of the conductivity calculations on the basis of the current autocorrelation function and on the basis of the diffusion coefficient is discussed.

Ultracold atoms and their applications (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 October 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-02-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), "Ultracold atoms and their applications", was held in the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, on 28 October 2015.The papers collected in this issue were written based on talks given at the session:(1) Vishnyakova G A, Golovizin A A, Kalganova E S, Tregubov D O, Khabarova K Yu (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudnyi, Moscow region), Sorokin V N, Sukachev D D, Kolachevsky N N (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) "Ultracold lanthanides: from optical clock to a quantum simulator"; (2) Barmashova T V, Martiyanov K A, Makhalov V B (Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod), Turlapov A V (Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod; Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod) "Fermi liquid to Bose condensate crossover in a two-dimensional ultracold gas experiment"; (3) Taichenachev A V, Yudin V I, Bagayev S N (Institute of Laser Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk) "Ultraprecise optical frequency standards based on ultracold atoms: state of the art and prospects"; (4) Ryabtsev I I, Beterov I I, Tretyakov D B, Entin V M, Yakshina E A (Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk) "Spectroscopy of cold rubidium Rydberg atoms for applications in quantum information". • Ultracold lanthanides: from optical clock to a quantum simulator, G A Vishnyakova, A A Golovizin, E S Kalganova, V N Sorokin, D D Sukachev, D O Tregubov, K Yu Khabarova, N N Kolachevsky Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 2, Pages 168-173 • Fermi liquid-to-Bose condensate crossover in a two-dimensional ultracold gas experiment, T V Barmashova, K A Mart'yanov, V B Makhalov, A V Turlapov Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 2, Pages 174-183 • Ultraprecise optical frequency standards based on ultracold atoms: state of the art and prospects, A V Taichenachev, V I Yudin, S N Bagayev Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 2, Pages 184-195 • Spectroscopy of cold rubidium Rydberg atoms for applications in quantum information, I I Ryabtsev, I I Beterov, D B Tret'yakov, V M Èntin, E A Yakshina Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 2, Pages 196-208

Experimental apparatus for overlapping a ground-state cooled ion with ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meir, Ziv; Sikorsky, Tomas; Ben-shlomi, Ruti; Akerman, Nitzan; Pinkas, Meirav; Dallal, Yehonatan; Ozeri, Roee

2018-03-01

Experimental realizations of charged ions and neutral atoms in overlapping traps are gaining increasing interest due to their wide research application ranging from chemistry at the quantum level to quantum simulations of solid state systems. In this paper, we describe our experimental system in which we overlap a single ground-state cooled ion trapped in a linear Paul trap with a cloud of ultracold atoms such that both constituents are in the ?K regime. Excess micromotion (EMM) currently limits atom-ion interaction energy to the mK energy scale and above. We demonstrate spectroscopy methods and compensation techniques which characterize and reduce the ion's parasitic EMM energy to the ?K regime even for ion crystals of several ions. We further give a substantial review on the non-equilibrium dynamics which governs atom-ion systems. The non-equilibrium dynamics is manifested by a power law distribution of the ion's energy. We also give an overview on the coherent and non-coherent thermometry tools which can be used to characterize the ion's energy distribution after single to many atom-ion collisions.

Many-body interferometry of magnetic polaron dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashida, Yuto; Schmidt, Richard; Tarruell, Leticia; Demler, Eugene

2018-02-01

The physics of quantum impurities coupled to a many-body environment is among the most important paradigms of condensed-matter physics. In particular, the formation of polarons, quasiparticles dressed by the polarization cloud, is key to the understanding of transport, optical response, and induced interactions in a variety of materials. Despite recent remarkable developments in ultracold atoms and solid-state materials, the direct measurement of their ultimate building block, the polaron cloud, has remained a fundamental challenge. We propose and analyze a platform to probe time-resolved dynamics of polaron-cloud formation with an interferometric protocol. We consider an impurity atom immersed in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate where the impurity generates spin-wave excitations that can be directly measured by the Ramsey interference of surrounding atoms. The dressing by spin waves leads to the formation of magnetic polarons and reveals a unique interplay between few- and many-body physics that is signified by single- and multi-frequency oscillatory dynamics corresponding to the formation of many-body bound states. Finally, we discuss concrete experimental implementations in ultracold atoms.

Microscopic observation of magnon bound states and their dynamics.

PubMed

Fukuhara, Takeshi; Schauß, Peter; Endres, Manuel; Hild, Sebastian; Cheneau, Marc; Bloch, Immanuel; Gross, Christian

2013-10-03

The existence of bound states of elementary spin waves (magnons) in one-dimensional quantum magnets was predicted almost 80 years ago. Identifying signatures of magnon bound states has so far remained the subject of intense theoretical research, and their detection has proved challenging for experiments. Ultracold atoms offer an ideal setting in which to find such bound states by tracking the spin dynamics with single-spin and single-site resolution following a local excitation. Here we use in situ correlation measurements to observe two-magnon bound states directly in a one-dimensional Heisenberg spin chain comprising ultracold bosonic atoms in an optical lattice. We observe the quantum dynamics of free and bound magnon states through time-resolved measurements of two spin impurities. The increased effective mass of the compound magnon state results in slower spin dynamics as compared to single-magnon excitations. We also determine the decay time of bound magnons, which is probably limited by scattering on thermal fluctuations in the system. Our results provide a new way of studying fundamental properties of quantum magnets and, more generally, properties of interacting impurities in quantum many-body systems.

Progress Towards Laser Cooling of an Ultracold Neutral Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langin, Thomas; Gorman, Grant; Chen, Zhitao; Chow, Kyle; Killian, Thomas

2017-04-01

We report on progress towards laser-cooling of the ion component of an ultracold neutral plasma (UNP) consisting of 88Sr+. The goal of the experiment is to increase the value of the ion Coulomb Coupling Parameter, Γi, which is the ratio of the average nearest neighbor Coulomb interaction energy to the ion kinetic energy. Currently, Γi is limited to 3 in most UNP systems. We have developed a new photoionization pathway for plasma creation that starts with atoms in a magnetic trap. This allows us to create much larger plasmas (upwards of 109 atoms with a width of 4 mm). This greatly reduces the plasma expansion rate, giving more time for laser cooling. We have also installed lasers for optically pumping atoms out of dark states that are populated during laser cooling. We will discuss these new systems, along with the results of our first attempts at laser-cooling. Supported by NSF and DoE (PHY-0714603), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-12-1-0267), and the Shell Foundation.

Efficient photoassociation of ultracold cesium atoms with picosecond pulse laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hai, Yang; Hu, Xue-Jin; Li, Jing-Lun; Cong, Shu-Lin

2017-08-01

We investigate theoretically the formation of ultracold Cs2 molecules via photoassociation (PA) with three kinds of pulses (the Gaussian pulse, the asymmetric shaped laser pulse SL1 with a large rising time and a small falling time and the asymmetric shaped laser pulse SL2 with a small rising time and a large falling time). For the three kinds of pulses, the final population on vibrational levels from v‧ = 120 to 175 of the excited state displays a regular oscillation change with pulse width and interaction strength, and a high PA efficiency can be achieved with optimised parameters. The PA efficiency in the excited state steered by the SL1-pulse (SL2-pulse) train with optimised parameters which is composed of four SL1 (SL2) pulses is 1.74 times as much as that by the single SL1 (SL2) pulse due to the population accumulation effect. Moreover, a dump laser is employed to transfer the excited molecules from the excited state to the vibrational level v″ = 12 of the ground state to obtain stable molecules.

Ab Initio Study of Ultracold Polar Molecules in Optical Lattices

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

collisions of Li and alkaline-earth or rare- earth atoms, such LiSr and LiYb. Finally, we calculated the isotropic and anisotropic interaction potentials... LiSr and LiYb molecules. To the best of our knowledge, only LiMg was experimentally investigated [3], which allowed us to compare our predictions...alkaline-earth or rare-earth atoms. Interest in the LiSr and LiYb molecules stems from prospects to achieve optical Feshbach tuning of scattering properties

Resonantly enhanced spin-spin interaction of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice for quantum information and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inaba, Kensuke; Noda, Kazuto; Tokunaga, Yuuki; Tamaki, Kiyoshi; Igeta, Kazuhiro; Yamashita, Makoto

2014-05-01

Control of the spin-spin interactions between atoms in an optical lattice is a key ingredient for simulating quantum magnetism and also creating entanglement required for quantum computation. Here, we investigate the use of resonant enhancement of the perturbative spin interactions. First, we discuss entanglement generation with a tunable Ising interaction. Enhancing the interaction allows us to shorten operation time. However, it conflicts with the perturbative nature of the interaction and inevitably induces unwanted correlations that degrade fidelity. We propose a method for overcoming this difficulty. Next, we also discuss characteristic magnetism caused by the resonantly enhanced interaction. In the similar way to the above, the transition temperatures can be increased, which is limited by the breakdown of the perturbation. We will discuss the mechanism of the limitation. This work was partly supported by JST CREST.

Fermi Gas Microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, Widagdo

Recent advances in using microscopes in ultracold atom experiment have allowed experimenters for the first time to directly observe and manipulate individual atoms in individual lattice sites. This technique enhances our capability to simulate strongly correlated systems such as Mott insulator and high temperature superconductivity. Currently, all ultracold atom experiments with high resolution imaging capability use bosonic atoms. In this thesis, I present our progress towards creating the fermionic version of the microscope experiment which is more suitable for simulating real condensed matter systems. Lithium is ideal due to the existence of both fermionic and bosonic isotopes, its light mass, which means faster experiment time scales that suppresses many sources of technical noise, and also due to the existence of a broad Feshbach resonance, which can be used to tune the inter-particle interaction strength over a wide range from attractive, non-interacting, and repulsive interactions. A high numerical aperture objective will be used to image and manipulate the atoms with single lattice site resolution. This setup should allow us to implement the Hubbard hamiltonian which could describe interesting quantum phases such as antiferromagnetism, d-wave superfluidity, and high temperature superconductivity. I will also discuss the feasibility of the Raman sideband cooling method for cooling the atoms during the imaging process. We have also developed a new electronic control system to control the sequence of the experiment. This electronic system is very scalable in order to keep up with the increasing complexity of atomic physics experiments. Furthermore, the system is also designed to be more precise in order to keep up with the faster time scale of lithium experiment.

Novel Phases from the Interplay of Topology and Strong Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickey, Ciaran

In recent years, topology has become increasingly prevalent in condensed matter physics. It has allowed us to understand, and even predict, a variety of striking and remarkable physical phenomena. The study of strongly interacting systems has similarly lavished us with a diverse range of exotic phases and unconventional transitions, many of which are still poorly understood. In this thesis we will explore the interplay between topology and interactions in an effort to uncover new and novel phases. First we study how interactions impact the quantum phase transition between a topologically non-trivial phase and a trivial phase. The combination of interactions and the low-energy degrees of freedom associated with the transition leads to the emergence of a dome of lattice-symmetry breaking nematic order. Such behaviour is reminiscent of a number of strongly correlated electronic systems. We move on to study the strongly interacting limit of one of the earliest and best-known non-interacting topological phases, Haldane's model of a Chern insulator. Recently realized with ultracold atoms in a shaken optical lattice, the model has a non-trivial topological invariant associated with its band structure. In the strongly interacting limit the spin degrees of freedom are all that survive and we find a rich phase diagram of magnetically ordered phases, using a combination of both classical and quantum techniques. Supplementing the model with an additional term we can 'quantum-melt' one of these ordered states to produce a disordered, liquid state that we positively identify as a chiral spin liquid, a highly entangled state of matter with fractionalised excitations. We generalise this mechanism to other two dimensional lattices, uncovering a possible unifying framework with which to understand the emergence of chiral spin liquids in lattice spin models. Finally, motivated by groundbreaking experiments in the ultracold atoms community, we investigate a model of two-component bosons with an artificial spin-orbit coupling. The interplay between the lattice, interactions and spin-orbit coupling produces a variety of unusual superfluid phases. Using a novel Monte Carlo technique we reveal the finite temperature phase diagram that appears close to the Mott transition.

PT -symmetric gain and loss in a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haag, Daniel; Dast, Dennis; Cartarius, Holger; Wunner, Günter

2018-03-01

PT -symmetric quantum mechanics allows finding stationary states in mean-field systems with balanced gain and loss of particles. In this work we apply this method to rotating Bose-Einstein condensates with contact interaction which are known to support ground states with vortices. Due to the particle exchange with the environment transport phenomena through ultracold gases with vortices can be studied. We find that even strongly interacting rotating systems support stable PT -symmetric ground states, sustaining a current parallel and perpendicular to the vortex cores. The vortices move through the nonuniform particle density and leave or enter the condensate through its borders creating the required net current.

Cold atoms in one-dimensional rings: a Luttinger liquid approach to precision measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragole, Stephen; Taylor, Jacob

Recent experiments have realized ring shaped traps for ultracold atoms. We consider the one-dimensional limit of these ring systems with a moving weak barrier, such as a blue-detuned laser beam. In this limit, we employ Luttinger liquid theory and find an analogy with the superconducting charge qubit. In particular, we find that strongly-interacting atoms in such a system could be used for precision rotation sensing. We compare the performance of this new sensor to the state of the art non-interacting atom interferometry. Funding provided by the Physics Frontier Center at the JQI and by DARPA QUASAR.

Velocity selection for ultracold atoms using mazer action in a bimodal cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irshad, Afshan; Qamar, Sajid; Qamar, Shahid

2010-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the velocity selection of ultracold three-level atoms in Λ configuration using a mazer. Our model is the same as discussed by Arun et al. [R. Arun, G.S. Agarwal, M.O. Scully, H. Walther, Phys. Rev. A 62 (2000) 023809] for mazer action in a bimodal cavity. We show that the initial Maxwellian velocity distribution of ultracold atoms can be narrowed due to the presence of resonances in the transmission through dressed-state potential. When the atoms are initially prepared in one of the two lower atomic states then significantly better velocity selectivity is obtained due to the presence of dark states.

Frequency standards based on ultracold atoms in tests of general relativity, navigation and gravimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khabarova, K. Yu.; Kudeyarov, K. S.; Kolachevsky, N. N.

2017-06-01

Research and development in the field of optical clocks based on ultracold atoms and ions have enabled the relative uncertainty in frequency to be reduced down to a few parts in 1018. The use of novel, precise frequency comparison methods opens up new possibilities for basic research (sensitive tests of general relativity, a search for a drift of fundamental constants and a search for ‘dark matter’) as well as for state-of-the-art navigation and gravimetry. We discuss the key methods that are used in creating precision clocks (including transportable clocks) based on ultracold atoms and ions and the feasibility of using them in resolving current relativistic gravimetry issues.

Mass-imbalanced Hubbard model in optical lattice with site-dependent interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Duc-Anh; Tran, Thi-Thu-Trang; Hoang, Anh-Tuan; Nguyen, Toan-Thang; Tran, Minh-Tien

2018-03-01

We study the half-filled mass-imbalanced Hubbard model with spatially alternating interactions on an optical bipartite lattice by means of the dynamical mean-field theory. The Mott transition is investigated via the spin-dependent density of states and double occupancies. The phase diagrams for the homogeneous phases at zero temperature are constructed numerically. The boundary between metallic and insulating phases at zero temperature is analytically derived within the dynamical mean field theory using the equation of motion approach as the impurity solver. We found that the metallic region is reduced with increasing interaction anisotropy or mass imbalance. Our results are closely relevant to current researches in ultracold fermion experiments and can be verified through experimental observations.

Chiral Three-Nucleon Interactions in Light Nuclei, Neutron-α Scattering, and Neutron Matter

DOE PAGES

Lynn, J. E.; Tews, I.; Carlson, Joseph Allen; ...

2016-02-09

Here we present quantum Monte Carlo calculations of light nuclei, neutron- scattering, and neutron matter using local two- and three-nucleon (3N) interactions derived from chiral e effective fi eld theory up to next-to-next-to-leading order (N 2LO). The two undetermined 3N low-energy couplings are fi t to the 4He binding energy and, for the first time, to the spin-orbit splitting in the neutron- P-wave phase shifts. Furthermore, we investigate different choices of local 3N-operator structures and find that chiral interactions at N 2LO are able to simultaneously reproduce the properties of A = 3; 4; 5 systems and of neutron matter,more » in contrast to commonly used phenomenological 3N interactions.« less

Chiral Three-Nucleon Interactions in Light Nuclei, Neutron-α Scattering, and Neutron Matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lynn, J. E.; Tews, I.; Carlson, Joseph Allen

Here we present quantum Monte Carlo calculations of light nuclei, neutron- scattering, and neutron matter using local two- and three-nucleon (3N) interactions derived from chiral e effective fi eld theory up to next-to-next-to-leading order (N 2LO). The two undetermined 3N low-energy couplings are fi t to the 4He binding energy and, for the first time, to the spin-orbit splitting in the neutron- P-wave phase shifts. Furthermore, we investigate different choices of local 3N-operator structures and find that chiral interactions at N 2LO are able to simultaneously reproduce the properties of A = 3; 4; 5 systems and of neutron matter,more » in contrast to commonly used phenomenological 3N interactions.« less

Double binding energy differences: Mean-field or pairing effect?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Chong

2012-10-01

In this Letter we present a systematic analysis on the average interaction between the last protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei, which can be extracted from the double differences of nuclear binding energies. The empirical average proton-neutron interaction Vpn thus derived from experimental data can be described in a very simple form as the interplay of the nuclear mean field and the pairing interaction. It is found that the smooth behavior as well as the local fluctuations of the Vpn in even-even nuclei with N ≠ Z are dominated by the contribution from the proton-neutron monopole interactions. A strong additional contribution from the isoscalar monopole interaction and isovector proton-neutron pairing interaction is seen in the Vpn for even-even N = Z nuclei and for the adjacent odd-A nuclei with one neutron or proton being subtracted.

Three Body Recombination and Photoassociative Ultracold Collisions Studied Using Translational Energy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-27

Sumission, or Preparation 1. "Multiple Scattering and the Density Distribution of a Cs MOT," R. Overstreet, P. Zabawa , J. Tallant, A. Schwettmann... Zabawa . J. Tallant, A. Schwettmann, J. Crawford, and J.P. Shaffer, DAMOP, Knoxville, TN, (2006). 6. "Ultracold Cs Rydberg Gas Dynamics," K.R

Manipulation of ultracold Rb atoms using a single linearly chirped laser pulse.

PubMed

Collins, T A; Malinovskaya, S A

2012-06-15

At ultracold temperatures, atoms are free from thermal motion, which makes them ideal objects of investigations aiming to advance high-precision spectroscopy, metrology, quantum computation, producing Bose condensates, etc. The quantum state of ultracold atoms may be created and manipulated by making use of quantum control methods employing low-intensity pulses. We theoretically investigate population dynamics of ultracold Rb vapor induced by nanosecond linearly chirped pulses having kW/cm2 beam intensity and show a possibility of controllable population transfer between hyperfine (HpF) levels of 5(2)/S(1/2) state through Raman transitions. Satisfying the one-photon resonance condition with the lowest of the HpF states of 5(2)/P(1/2) or 5(2)/P(3/2) state allows us to enter the adiabatic region of population transfer at very low field intensities, such that corresponding Rabi frequencies are less than or equal to the HpF splitting. This methodology provides a robust way to create a specifically designed superposition state in Rb in the basis of HpF levels and perform state manipulation controllable on the picosecond-to-nanosecond time scale.

Symmetry and the geometric phase in ultracold hydrogen-exchange reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croft, J. F. E.; Hazra, J.; Balakrishnan, N.; Kendrick, B. K.

2017-08-01

Quantum reactive scattering calculations are reported for the ultracold hydrogen-exchange reaction and its non-reactive atom-exchange isotopic counterparts, proceeding from excited rotational states. It is shown that while the geometric phase (GP) does not necessarily control the reaction to all final states, one can always find final states where it does. For the isotopic counterpart reactions, these states can be used to make a measurement of the GP effect by separately measuring the even and odd symmetry contributions, which experimentally requires nuclear-spin final-state resolution. This follows from symmetry considerations that make the even and odd identical-particle exchange symmetry wavefunctions which include the GP locally equivalent to the opposite symmetry wavefunctions which do not. It is shown how this equivalence can be used to define a constant which quantifies the GP effect and can be obtained solely from experimentally observable rates. This equivalence reflects the important role that discrete symmetries play in ultracold chemistry and highlights the key role that ultracold reactions can play in understanding fundamental aspects of chemical reactivity more generally.

Collisions of ultracold 23Na87Rb molecules with controlled chemical reactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Xin; Guo, Mingyang; He, Junyu; Wang, Dajun; Quemener, Goulven; Gonzalez-Martinez, Maykel; Dulieu, Oliver

2017-04-01

The recent successful creation of several ultracold absolute ground-state polar molecules without chemical reaction channel has opened a new playground for investigating the so far poorly understood collisions between them. On one hand, these collisions are indispensable for the exploration of dipolar physics, on the other hand, they are direct manifestations of the brand-new field of ultracold chemistry. Here, we report on the study on molecular collisions with ultracold ground-state 23Na87Rb molecules prepared by transferring weakly bound Feshbach molecules with STIRAP. By tuning the Raman laser wavelength to control the internal states, samples with distinctly different chemical reactivity and inelastic channels can be prepared. Surprisingly, we found that the trap loss of the non-reactive case is nearly identical to that of the reactive case. We also developed a model based on the collision complex formation mechanism. The comparison between experiment and theory will also be presented. This work was supported by the French ANR/Hong Kong RGC COPOMOL project (Grant No. A-CUHK403/13), the RGC General Research Fund (Grant No. CUHK14301815).

Interactions of Ultracold Impurity Particles with Bose-Einstein Condensates

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-23

Lukin et al ., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 037901 (2001). [2] D. Jaksch et al ., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2208 (2000). [3] L. Isenhower et al ., Phys. Rev. Lett...104, 010503 (2010). [4] T. Wilk et al ., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 010502 (2010). [5] I. Mourachko et al ., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 253 (1998). [6] W. R...Phys. 12, 103044 (2010). [12] R. M. W. van Bijnen et al ., J. Phys. B 44, 184008 (2011). [13] I. Lesanovsky, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 025301 (2011). [14] E

Neutron star matter equation of state: current status and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohnishi, Akira

2014-09-01

Neutron star matter has a variety of constituents and structures depending on the density; neutron-rich nuclei surounded by electrons and drip neutrons in the crust, pasta nuclei at the bottom of inner crust, and uniform isospin-asymmetric nuclear matter in a superfluid state in the outer core. In the inner core, the neutron Fermi energy becomes so large that exotic constituents such as hyperons, mesons and quarks may emerge. Radioactive beam and hypernuclear experiments provide information on the symmetry energy and superfluidity in the crust and outer core and on the hyperon potentials in the inner core, respectively. Cold atom experiments are also helpful to understand pure neutron matter, which may be simulated by the unitary gas. An equation of state (EOS) constructed based on these laboratory experiments has to be verified by the astronomical observations such as the mass, radius, and oscillations of neutron stars. One of the key but missing ingredients is the three-baryon interactions such as the hyperon-hyperon-nucleon (YYN) interaction. YYN interaction is important in order to explain the recently discovered massive neutron stars consistently with laboratory experiments. We have recently found that the ΛΛ interaction extracted from the ΛΛ correlation at RHIC is somewhat stronger than that from double Λ hypernuclei. Since these two interactions corresponds to the vacuum and in-medium ΛΛ interactions, respectively, the difference may tell us a possible way to access the YYN interaction based on experimental data. In the presentation, after a review on the current status of neutron star matter EOS studies, we discuss the necessary tasks to pin down the EOS. We also present our recent study of ΛΛ interaction from correlation data at RHIC.

High precision optical spectroscopy and quantum state selected photodissociation of ultracold 88Sr2 molecules in an optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Mickey Patrick

Over the past several decades, rapid progress has been made toward the accurate characterization and control of atoms, made possible largely by the development of narrow-linewidth lasers and techniques for trapping and cooling at ultracold temperatures. Extending this progress to molecules will have exciting implications for chemistry, condensed matter physics, and precision tests of physics beyond the Standard Model. These possibilities are all consequences of the richness of molecular structure, which is governed by physics substantially different from that characterizing atomic structure. This same richness of structure, however, increases the complexity of any molecular experiment manyfold over its atomic counterpart, magnifying the difficulty of everything from trapping and cooling to the comparison of theory with experiment. This thesis describes work performed over the past six years to establish the state of the art in manipulation and quantum control of ultracold molecules. Our molecules are produced via photoassociation of ultracold strontium atoms followed by spontaneous decay to a stable ground state. We describe a thorough set of measurements characterizing the rovibrational structure of very weakly bound (and therefore very large) 88Sr2 molecules from several different perspectives, including determinations of binding energies; linear, quadratic, and higher order Zeeman shifts; transition strengths between bound states; and lifetimes of narrow subradiant states. The physical intuition gained in these experiments applies generally to weakly bound diatomic molecules, and suggests extensive applications in precision measurement and metrology. In addition, we present a detailed analysis of the thermally broadened spectroscopic lineshape of molecules in a non-magic optical lattice trap, showing how such lineshapes can be used to directly determine the temperature of atoms or molecules in situ, addressing a long-standing problem in ultracold physics. Finally, we discuss the measurement of photofragment angular distributions produced by photodissociation, leading to an exploration of quantum-state-resolved ultracold chemistry.

Radiation effects in accelerator components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borden, M. J.

1995-05-01

A review of basic radiation effects is presented. The fundamental definitions of radioactivity are given for alpha, beta, positron decay, gamma-ray emission and electron capture. The interaction of neutrons with material is covered including: absorption through radiative capture, neutron-proton interaction, alpha particle emission, neutron-multi-neutron reactions and fission. Basic equations defining inelastic and elastic scattering are presented with examples of neutron energy loss per collision for several elements. Photon interactions are considered for gamma-rays and x-rays. Photoelectric collisions, the Compton effect and pair production are reviewed. Electron-proton interactions are discussed with emphasis placed on defect production. Basic displacement damage mechanisms for photon and particle interaction are presented. Several examples of radiation effects to plastics, electronics and ceramics are presented. Extended references are given for each example.

An experimental toolbox for the generation of cold and ultracold polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeppenfeld, Martin; Gantner, Thomas; Glöckner, Rosa; Ibrügger, Martin; Koller, Manuel; Prehn, Alexander; Wu, Xing; Chervenkov, Sotir; Rempe, Gerhard

2017-01-01

Cold and ultracold molecules enable fascinating applications in quantum science. We present our toolbox of techniques to generate the required molecule ensembles, including buffergas cooling, centrifuge deceleration and optoelectrical Sisyphus cooling. We obtain excellent control over both the motional and internal molecular degrees of freedom, allowing us to aim at various applications.

Ultra-Cold Atoms on Optical Lattices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghosh, Parag

2009-01-01

The field of ultra-cold atoms, since the achievement of Bose-Einstein Condensation (Anderson et al., 1995; Davis et al., 1995; Bradley et al., 1995), have seen an immensely growing interest over the past decade. With the creation of optical lattices, new possibilities of studying some of the widely used models in condensed matter have opened up.…

Aerial Neutron Detection of Cosmic-Ray Interactions with the Earth's Surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richard Maurer

2008-09-18

We have demonstrated the ability to measure the neutron flux produced by the cosmic-ray interaction with nuclei in the ground surface using aerial neutron detection. High energy cosmic-rays (primarily muons with GeV energies) interact with the nuclei in the ground surface and produce energetic neutrons via spallation. At the air-surface interface, the neutrons produced by spallation will either scatter within the surface material, become thermalized and reabsorbed, or be emitted into the air. The mean free path of energetic neutrons in air can be hundreds of feet as opposed to a few feet in dense materials. As such, the fluxmore » of neutrons escaping into the air provides a measure of the surface nuclei composition. It has been demonstrated that this effect can be measured at long range using neutron detectors on low flying helicopters. Radiological survey measurements conducted at Government Wash in Las Vegas, Nevada, have shown that the neutron background from the cosmic-soil interactions is repeatable and directly correlated to the geological data. Government Wash has a very unique geology, spanning a wide variety of nuclide mixtures and formations. The results of the preliminary measurements are presented.« less

Inflationary preheating dynamics with two-species condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zache, T. V.; Kasper, V.; Berges, J.

2017-06-01

We investigate both analytically and numerically a two-component ultracold atom system in one spatial dimension. The model features a tachyonic instability, which incorporates characteristic aspects of the mechanisms for particle production in early universe inflaton models. We establish a direct correspondence between measurable macroscopic growth rates for occupation numbers of the ultracold Bose gas and the underlying microscopic processes in terms of Feynman loop diagrams. We analyze several existing ultracold atom setups featuring dynamical instabilities and propose optimized protocols for their experimental realization. We demonstrate that relevant dynamical processes can be enhanced using a seeding procedure for unstable modes and clarify the role of initial quantum fluctuations and the generation of a nonlinear secondary stage for the amplification of modes.

Yang Monopoles and Emergent Three-Dimensional Topological Defects in Interacting Bosons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yangqian; Zhou, Qi

2018-06-01

The Yang monopole as a zero-dimensional topological defect has been well established in multiple fields in physics. However, it remains an intriguing question to understand the interaction effects on Yang monopoles. Here, we show that the collective motion of many interacting bosons gives rise to exotic topological defects that are distinct from Yang monopoles seen by a single particle. Whereas interactions may distribute Yang monopoles in the parameter space or glue them to a single giant one of multiple charges, three-dimensional topological defects also arise from continuous manifolds of degenerate many-body eigenstates. Their projections in lower dimensions lead to knotted nodal lines and nodal rings. Our results suggest that ultracold bosonic atoms can be used to create emergent topological defects and directly measure topological invariants that are not easy to access in solids.

Quantum droplet of one-dimensional bosons with a three-body attraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekino, Yuta; Nishida, Yusuke

2018-01-01

Ultracold atoms offer valuable opportunities where interparticle interactions can be controlled at will. In particular, by extinguishing the two-body interaction, one can realize unique systems governed by the three-body interaction, which is otherwise hidden behind the two-body interaction. Here we study one-dimensional bosons with a weak three-body attraction and show that they form few-body bound states as well as a many-body droplet stabilized by the quantum mechanical effect. Their binding energies relative to that of three bosons are all universal and the ground-state energy of the dilute droplet is found to grow exponentially as EN/E3→exp(8 N2/√{3 }π ) with increasing particle number N ≫1 . The realization of our system with coupled two-component bosons in an optical lattice is also discussed.

Trapped atoms along nanophotonic resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fields, Brian; Kim, May; Chang, Tzu-Han; Hung, Chen-Lung

2017-04-01

Many-body systems subject to long-range interactions have remained a very challenging topic experimentally. Ultracold atoms trapped in extreme proximity to the surface of nanophotonic structures provides a dynamic system combining the strong atom-atom interactions mediated by guided mode photons with the exquisite control implemented with trapped atom systems. The hybrid system promises pair-wise tunability of long-range interactions between atomic pseudo spins, allowing studies of quantum magnetism extending far beyond nearest neighbor interactions. In this talk, we will discuss our current status developing high quality nanophotonic ring resonators, engineered on CMOS compatible optical chips with integrated nanostructures that, in combination with a side illuminating beam, can realize stable atom traps approximately 100nm above the surface. We will report on our progress towards loading arrays of cold atoms near the surface of these structures and studying atom-atom interaction mediated by photons with high cooperativity.

New result for the neutron β -asymmetry parameter A0 from UCNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, M. A.-P.; Dees, E. B.; Adamek, E.; Allgeier, B.; Blatnik, M.; Bowles, T. J.; Broussard, L. J.; Carr, R.; Clayton, S.; Cude-Woods, C.; Currie, S.; Ding, X.; Filippone, B. W.; García, A.; Geltenbort, P.; Hasan, S.; Hickerson, K. P.; Hoagland, J.; Hong, R.; Hogan, G. E.; Holley, A. T.; Ito, T. M.; Knecht, A.; Liu, C.-Y.; Liu, J.; Makela, M.; Martin, J. W.; Melconian, D.; Mendenhall, M. P.; Moore, S. D.; Morris, C. L.; Nepal, S.; Nouri, N.; Pattie, R. W.; Pérez Galván, A.; Phillips, D. G.; Picker, R.; Pitt, M. L.; Plaster, B.; Ramsey, J. C.; Rios, R.; Salvat, D. J.; Saunders, A.; Sondheim, W.; Seestrom, S. J.; Sjue, S.; Slutsky, S.; Sun, X.; Swank, C.; Swift, G.; Tatar, E.; Vogelaar, R. B.; VornDick, B.; Wang, Z.; Wexler, J.; Womack, T.; Wrede, C.; Young, A. R.; Zeck, B. A.; UCNA Collaboration

2018-03-01

Background: The neutron β -decay asymmetry parameter A0 defines the angular correlation between the spin of the neutron and the momentum of the emitted electron. Values for A0 permit an extraction of the ratio of the weak axial-vector to vector coupling constants, λ ≡gA/gV , which under assumption of the conserved vector current hypothesis (gV=1 ) determines gA. Precise values for gA are important as a benchmark for lattice QCD calculations and as a test of the standard model. Purpose: The UCNA experiment, carried out at the Ultracold Neutron (UCN) source at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, was the first measurement of any neutron β -decay angular correlation performed with UCN. This article reports the most precise result for A0 obtained to date from the UCNA experiment, as a result of higher statistics and reduced key systematic uncertainties, including from the neutron polarization and the characterization of the electron detector response. Methods: UCN produced via the downscattering of moderated spallation neutrons in a solid deuterium crystal were polarized via transport through a 7 T polarizing magnet and a spin flipper, which permitted selection of either spin state. The UCN were then contained within a 3-m long cylindrical decay volume, situated along the central axis of a superconducting 1 T solenoidal spectrometer. With the neutron spins then oriented parallel or anti-parallel to the solenoidal field, an asymmetry in the numbers of emitted decay electrons detected in two electron detector packages located on both ends of the spectrometer permitted an extraction of A0. Results: The UCNA experiment reports a new 0.67% precision result for A0 of A0=-0.12054 (44) stat(68) syst , which yields λ =gA/gV=-1.2783 (22 ) . Combination with the previous UCNA result and accounting for correlated systematic uncertainties produces A0=-0.12015 (34) stat(63) syst and λ =gA/gV=-1.2772 (20 ) . Conclusions: This new result for A0 and gA/gV from the UCNA experiment has provided confirmation of the shift in values for gA/gV that has emerged in the published results from more recent experiments, which are in striking disagreement with the results from older experiments. Individual systematic corrections to the asymmetries in older experiments (published prior to 2002) were >10 %, whereas those in the more recent ones (published after 2002) have been of the scale of <2 %. The impact of these older results on the global average will be minimized should future measurements of A0 reach the 0.1% level of precision with central values near the most recent results.

Status report on the cold neutron source of the Garching neutron research facility FRM-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobrecht, K.; Gutsmiedl, E.; Scheuer, A.

2002-01-01

The new high flux research reactor of the Technical University of Munich (Technische Universität München, TUM) will be equipped with a cold neutron source (CNS). The centre of the CNS will be located in the D 2O-reflector tank at 400 mm from the reactor core axis close to the thermal neutron flux maximum. The power of 4500 W developed by the nuclear heating in the 16 l of liquid deuterium at 25 K, and in the structures, is evacuated by a two-phase thermal siphon avoiding film boiling and flooding. The thermal siphon is a single tube with counter current flow. It is inclined by 10° from vertical, and optimised for a deuterium flow rate of 14 g/s. Optimisation of structure design and material, as well as safety aspects will be discussed. Those parts of the structure, which are exposed to high thermal neutron flux, are made from Zircaloy 4 and 6061T6 aluminium. Structure failure due to embrittlement of the structure material under high rapid neutron flux is very improbable during the lifetime of the CNS (30 years). Double, in pile even triple, containment with inert gas liner guarantees lack of explosion risk and of tritium contamination to the environment. Adding a few percent of hydrogen (H 2) to the deuterium (D 2) will improve the moderating properties of our relatively small moderator volume. Nearly all of the hydrogen is bound in the form of HD molecules. A long-term change of the hydrogen content in the deuterium is avoided by storing the mixture not in a gas buffer volume but as a metal hydride at low pressure. The metal hydride storage system contains two getter beds, one with 250 kg of LaCo 3Ni 2, the other one with 150 kg of ZrCo 0.8Ni 0.2. Each bed can take the total gas inventory, both beds together can absorb the total gas inventory in <6 min at a pressure <3 bar. The new reactor will have 13 beam tubes, 4 of which are looking at the CNS, including two for very cold (VCN) and ultra-cold neutron (UCN) production. The latter will take place in the horizontal beam tube SR4, which will house an additional cryogenic moderator (e.g. solid deuterium). More than 60% of the experiments foreseen in the new neutron research facility will use cold neutrons from the CNS. The mounting of the hardware components of the CNS into the reactor has started in the spring of 2000. The CNS went into trial operation in the end of year 2000.

Precise calculations in simulations of the interaction of low energy neutrons with nano-dispersed media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artem'ev, V. A.; Nezvanov, A. Yu.; Nesvizhevsky, V. V.

2016-01-01

We discuss properties of the interaction of slow neutrons with nano-dispersed media and their application for neutron reflectors. In order to increase the accuracy of model simulation of the interaction of neutrons with nanopowders, we perform precise quantum mechanical calculation of potential scattering of neutrons on single nanoparticles using the method of phase functions. We compare results of precise calculations with those performed within first Born approximation for nanodiamonds with the radius of 2-5 nm and for neutron energies 3 × 10-7-10-3 eV. Born approximation overestimates the probability of scattering to large angles, while the accuracy of evaluation of integral characteristics (cross sections, albedo) is acceptable. Using Monte-Carlo method, we calculate albedo of neutrons from different layers of piled up diamond nanopowder.

Quasiparticle Interactions in Neutron Matter for Applications in Neutron Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wambach, J.; Anisworth, T. L.; Pines, D.

1993-01-01

A microscopic model for the quaisiparticle interaction in neutron matter is presented. Both particle-particle (pp) and particle-hole (ph) correlation are are included. The pp correlations are treated in semi-empirical way, while ph correlations are incorporated by solving coupled two-body equations for the particle hole interaction and the scattering amplitude on the Fermi sphere. The resulting integral equations self-consistently sum the ph reducible diagrams. Antisymmetry is kept at all stages and hence the forward-scattering sum rules are obeyed. Results for Landau parameters and transport coefficients in a density regime representing the crust of a neutron star are presented. We also estimate the S-1 gap parameter for neutron superfluidity and comment briefly on neutron-star implications.

Quasiparticle Interactions in Neutron Matter for Applications in Neutron Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wambach, J; Ainsworth, T. L.; Pines, D.

1993-01-01

A microscopic model for the quasiparticle interaction in neutron matter is presented. Both-particle (pp) and particle-hole (ph) correlations are included. The pp correlations are treated in semi-empirical way, while ph correlations are incorporated by solving coupled two-body equations for particle-hole interaction and the scattering amplitude of the Fermi sphere. The resulting integral equations self-consistently sum the ph reducible diagrams. Antisymmetry is kept at all stages and hence the forward-scattering sum rules for the scattering amplitude are obeyed. Results for Landau parameters and transport coefficients in a density regime representing the crust of a neutron star are presented. We also estimate the (1)S(sub 0) gap parameter for neutron superfluidity and comment briefly on neutron-star implications.

Self-bound droplets of a dilute magnetic quantum liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Matthias; Wenzel, Matthias; Böttcher, Fabian; Ferrier-Barbut, Igor; Pfau, Tilman

2016-11-01

Self-bound many-body systems are formed through a balance of attractive and repulsive forces and occur in many physical scenarios. Liquid droplets are an example of a self-bound system, formed by a balance of the mutual attractive and repulsive forces that derive from different components of the inter-particle potential. It has been suggested that self-bound ensembles of ultracold atoms should exist for atom number densities that are 108 times lower than in a helium droplet, which is formed from a dense quantum liquid. However, such ensembles have been elusive up to now because they require forces other than the usual zero-range contact interaction, which is either attractive or repulsive but never both. On the basis of the recent finding that an unstable bosonic dipolar gas can be stabilized by a repulsive many-body term, it was predicted that three-dimensional self-bound quantum droplets of magnetic atoms should exist. Here we report the observation of such droplets in a trap-free levitation field. We find that this dilute magnetic quantum liquid requires a minimum, critical number of atoms, below which the liquid evaporates into an expanding gas as a result of the quantum pressure of the individual constituents. Consequently, around this critical atom number we observe an interaction-driven phase transition between a gas and a self-bound liquid in the quantum degenerate regime with ultracold atoms. These droplets are the dilute counterpart of strongly correlated self-bound systems such as atomic nuclei and helium droplets.

Self-bound droplets of a dilute magnetic quantum liquid.

PubMed

Schmitt, Matthias; Wenzel, Matthias; Böttcher, Fabian; Ferrier-Barbut, Igor; Pfau, Tilman

2016-11-10

Self-bound many-body systems are formed through a balance of attractive and repulsive forces and occur in many physical scenarios. Liquid droplets are an example of a self-bound system, formed by a balance of the mutual attractive and repulsive forces that derive from different components of the inter-particle potential. It has been suggested that self-bound ensembles of ultracold atoms should exist for atom number densities that are 10 8 times lower than in a helium droplet, which is formed from a dense quantum liquid. However, such ensembles have been elusive up to now because they require forces other than the usual zero-range contact interaction, which is either attractive or repulsive but never both. On the basis of the recent finding that an unstable bosonic dipolar gas can be stabilized by a repulsive many-body term, it was predicted that three-dimensional self-bound quantum droplets of magnetic atoms should exist. Here we report the observation of such droplets in a trap-free levitation field. We find that this dilute magnetic quantum liquid requires a minimum, critical number of atoms, below which the liquid evaporates into an expanding gas as a result of the quantum pressure of the individual constituents. Consequently, around this critical atom number we observe an interaction-driven phase transition between a gas and a self-bound liquid in the quantum degenerate regime with ultracold atoms. These droplets are the dilute counterpart of strongly correlated self-bound systems such as atomic nuclei and helium droplets.

Simulations Of Laser Cooling In An Ultracold Neutral Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langin, Thomas; Strickler, Trevor; Pohl, Thomas; Vrinceanu, Daniel; Killian, Thomas

2016-05-01

Ultracold neutral plasmas (UNPs) generated by photoionization of laser-cooled, magneto-optically trapped neutral gases, are useful systems for studying strongly coupled plasmas. Coupling is parameterized by Γi, the ratio of the average nearest neighbor Coulomb interaction energy to the ion kinetic energy. For typical UNPs, Γi is currently limited to ~ 3 . For alkaline earth ions, higher Γi can be achieved by laser-cooling. Using Molecular Dynamics and a quantum trajectories approach, we have simulated laser-cooling of Sr+ ions interacting through a Yukawa potential. The simulations include re-pumping from two long-lived D-states, and are conducted at experimentally achievable parameters (density n = 2 e+14 m-3, size σ0 = 4 mm, Te = 19 K). Laser-cooling is shown to both reduce the temperature by a factor of 2 over relevant timescales (tens of μ s) and slow the electron thermal-pressure driven radial expansion of the UNP. We also discuss the unique aspects of laser-cooling in a highly collisional system; in particular, the effect of collisions on dark state formation due to the coupling of the P3/2 state to both the S1/2 (via the cooling transition) and the D5/2 (via a re-pump transition) states. Supported by NSF and DoE, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the NDSEG Program, and NIH NCRR S10RR02950, an IBM SUR Award in partnership with CISCO, Qlogic and Adaptive Computing.

Analytical results for the time-dependent current density distribution of expanding ultracold gases after a sudden change of the confining potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boumaza, R.; Bencheikh, K.

2017-12-01

Using the so-called operator product expansion to lowest order, we extend the work in Campbell et al (2015 Phys. Rev. Lett 114 125302) by deriving a simple analytical expression for the long-time asymptotic one-body reduced density matrix during free expansion for a one-dimensional system of bosons with large atom number interacting through a repulsive delta potential initially confined by a potential well. This density matrix allows direct access to the momentum distribution and also to the mass current density. For initially confining power-law potentials we give explicit expressions, in the limits of very weak and very strong interaction, for the current density distributions during the free expansion. In the second part of the work we consider the expansion of ultracold gas from a confining harmonic trap to another harmonic trap with a different frequency. For the case of a quantum impenetrable gas of bosons (a Tonks-Girardeau gas) with a given atom number, we present an exact analytical expression for the mass current distribution (mass transport) after release from one harmonic trap to another harmonic trap. It is shown that, for a harmonically quenched Tonks-Girardeau gas, the current distribution is a suitable collective observable and under the weak quench regime, it exhibits oscillations at the same frequencies as those recently predicted for the peak momentum distribution in the breathing mode. The analysis is extended to other possible quenched systems.

Equation of State of the Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocchi, Eugenio; Miller, Luke A.; Drewes, Jan H.; Koschorreck, Marco; Pertot, Daniel; Brennecke, Ferdinand; Köhl, Michael

2016-04-01

The subtle interplay between kinetic energy, interactions, and dimensionality challenges our comprehension of strongly correlated physics observed, for example, in the solid state. In this quest, the Hubbard model has emerged as a conceptually simple, yet rich model describing such physics. Here we present an experimental determination of the equation of state of the repulsive two-dimensional Hubbard model over a broad range of interactions 0 ≲U /t ≲20 and temperatures, down to kBT /t =0.63 (2 ) using high-resolution imaging of ultracold fermionic atoms in optical lattices. We show density profiles, compressibilities, and double occupancies over the whole doping range, and, hence, our results constitute benchmarks for state-of-the-art theoretical approaches.

From dipolar to multipolar interactions between ultracold Feshbach molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quéméner, Goulven; Lepers, Maxence; Luc-Koenig, Eliane; Dulieu, Olivier

2016-05-01

Using the multipolar expansion of electrostatic and magnetostatic potential energies, we characterize the long-range interactions between two weakly-bound diatomic molecules, taking as an example the paramagnetic Er2 Feshbach molecules which were produced recently. The interaction between atomic magnetic dipoles gives rise to the usual R-3 leading term of the multipolar expansion, where R is the intermolecular distance. We show that additional terms scaling as R-5, R-7 and so on also appear, which are strongly anisotropic with respect to the orientation of the molecules. These terms can be seen as effective molecular multipole moments reflecting the spatial extension of the molecules which is non-negligible compared to R. We acknowledge the financial support of the COPOMOL project (ANR-13-IS04-0004) from Agence Nationale de la Recherche.

Dirac-, Rashba-, and Weyl-type spin-orbit couplings: Toward experimental realization in ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bao-Zong; Lu, Yue-Hui; Sun, Wei; Chen, Shuai; Deng, Youjin; Liu, Xiong-Jun

2018-01-01

We propose a hierarchy set of minimal optical Raman lattice schemes to pave the way for experimental realization of high-dimensional spin-orbit (SO) couplings for ultracold atoms, including two-dimensional (2D) Dirac type, 2D Rashba type, and three-dimensional (3D) Weyl type. The proposed Dirac-type SO coupling exhibits precisely controllable high symmetry, for which a large topological phase region is predicted. The generation of 2D Rashba and 3D Weyl types requires that two sources of laser beams have distinct frequencies of factor 2 difference. Surprisingly, we find that 133Cs atoms provide an ideal candidate for the realization. A common and essential feature is of high controllability and absent of any fine-tuning in the realization, and the resulting SO coupled ultracold atoms have a long lifetime. In particular, a long-lived topological Bose gas of 2D Dirac SO coupling has been proved in the follow-up experiment. These schemes essentially improve over the current experimental accessibility and controllability, and open a realistic way to explore novel high-dimensional SO physics, particularly quantum many-body physics and quantum far-from-equilibrium dynamics with novel topology for ultracold atoms.

Simple Interpretation of Proton-Neutron Interactions in Rare Earth Nuclei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oktem, Y.; Cakirli, R. B.; Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520

2007-04-23

Empirical values of the average interactions of the last two protons and last two neutrons, {delta}Vpn, which can be obtained from double differences of binding energies, provide significant information about nuclear structure. Studies of {delta}Vpn showed striking behavior across major shell gaps and the relation of proton-neutron (p-n) interaction strengths to the increasing collectivity and onset of deformation in nuclei. Here we focus on the strong regularity at the {delta}Vpn values in A{approx}150-180 mass region. Experimentally, for each nucleus, the valence p-n interaction strengths increase systematically against the neutron number and it decreases for the observed last neutron number. Thesemore » experimental results give almost nearly perfect parallel trajectories. A microscopic interpretation with a zero range {delta}-interaction in a Nilsson basis gives reasonable agreement for Er-W but more significant discrepancies appear for Gd and Dy.« less

The crystal acceleration effect for cold neutrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braginetz, Yu. P., E-mail: aiver@pnpi.spb.ru; Berdnikov, Ya. A.; Fedorov, V. V., E-mail: vfedorov@pnpi.spb.ru

A new mechanism of neutron acceleration is discussed and studied experimentally in detail for cold neutrons passing through the accelerated perfect crystal with the energies close to the Bragg one. The effect arises due to the following reason. The crystal refraction index (neutron-crystal interaction potential) for neutron in the vicinity of the Bragg resonance sharply depends on the parameter of deviation from the exact Bragg condition, i.e. on the crystal-neutron relative velocity. Therefore the neutrons enter into accelerated crystal with one neutron-crystal interaction potential and exit with the other. Neutron kinetic energy cannot vary inside the crystal due to itsmore » homogeneity. So after passage through such a crystal neutrons will be accelerated or decelerated because of the different energy change at the entrance and exit crystal boundaries.« less

Measurement of the Spatial Distribution of Ultracold Cesium Rydberg Atoms by Time-of-Flight Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jingkui; Zhang, Linjie; Zhang, Hao; Zhao, Jianming; Jia, Suotang

2015-09-01

We prepare nS (n = 49) cesium Rydberg atoms by two-photon excitation in a standard magnetooptical trap to obtain the spatial distribution of the Rydberg atoms by measuring the time-of-flight (TOF) spectra in the case of a low Rydberg density. We analyze the time evolution of the ultracold nS Rydberg atoms distribution by changing the delay time of the pulsed ionization field, defined as the duration from the moment of switching off the excitation lasers to the time of switching on the ionization field. TOF spectra of Rydberg atoms are observed as a function of the delay time and initial Rydberg atomic density. The corresponding full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) are obtained by fitting the spectra with a Gaussian profile. The FWHM decreases with increasing delay time at a relatively high Rydberg atom density (>5 × 107/cm3) because of the decreasing Coulomb interaction between released charges during their flight to the detector. The temperature of the cold atoms is deduced from the dependence of the TOF spectra on the delay time under the condition of low Rydberg atom density.

Quantum measurement-induced dynamics of many-body ultracold bosonic and fermionic systems in optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzucchi, Gabriel; Kozlowski, Wojciech; Caballero-Benitez, Santiago F.; Elliott, Thomas J.; Mekhov, Igor B.

2016-02-01

Trapping ultracold atoms in optical lattices enabled numerous breakthroughs uniting several disciplines. Coupling these systems to quantized light leads to a plethora of new phenomena and has opened up a new field of study. Here we introduce an unusual additional source of competition in a many-body strongly correlated system: We prove that quantum backaction of global measurement is able to efficiently compete with intrinsic short-range dynamics of an atomic system. The competition becomes possible due to the ability to change the spatial profile of a global measurement at a microscopic scale comparable to the lattice period without the need of single site addressing. In coherence with a general physical concept, where new competitions typically lead to new phenomena, we demonstrate nontrivial dynamical effects such as large-scale multimode oscillations, long-range entanglement, and correlated tunneling, as well as selective suppression and enhancement of dynamical processes beyond the projective limit of the quantum Zeno effect. We demonstrate both the breakup and protection of strongly interacting fermion pairs by measurement. Such a quantum optical approach introduces into many-body physics novel processes, objects, and methods of quantum engineering, including the design of many-body entangled environments for open systems.

Neutron production from 200-500 MeV proton interaction with spacecraft materials.

PubMed

Maurer, Richard H; Kinnison, James D; Roth, David R

2005-01-01

We report on detailed energy spectra of neutron production > 14 MeV from collisions of 200-500 MeV protons with combinations of aluminium, graphite and polyethylene. Comparisons of normalised neutron spectra are made with respect to incident proton energy, angle of neutron production and material. In general, carbon (graphite) or polyethylene (by itself or in combination with aluminium) reduce secondary neutron production > 14 MeV relative to the production from interactions in aluminium.

Ultracold bosons in a one-dimensional optical lattice chain: Newton's cradle and Bose enhancement effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ji-Guo; Yang, Shi-Jie

2017-05-01

We study a model to realize the long-distance correlated tunneling of ultracold bosons in a one-dimensional optical lattice chain. The model reveals the behavior of a quantum Newton's cradle, which is the perfect transfer between two macroscopic quantum states. Due to the Bose enhancement effect, we find that the resonantly tunneling through a Mott domain is greatly enhanced.

Analysis of the Alkali Metal Diatomic Spectra; Using molecular beams and ultracold molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jin-Tae

2014-12-01

This ebook illustrates the complementarity of molecular beam (MB) spectra and ultracold molecule (UM) spectra in unraveling the complex electronic spectra of diatomic alkali metal molecules, using KRb as a prime example. Researchers interested in molecular spectroscopy, whether physicist, chemist, or engineer, may find this ebook helpful and may be able to apply similar ideas to their molecules of interest.

Tunable Superfluidity and Quantum Magnetism with Ultracold Polar Molecules

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-08

generalization of the t-J model that we refer to as the anisotropic t-J-V-W model. Dipole-dipole interactions that give rise to this model are orders...controlled by the ratio between the Rabi frequency and the detuning of a þ-polarized microwave field acting on the j0i j1i tran- sition [27]. In 40K87Rb...field coupling jm0i and jm1i and performing an adiabatic passage from an easily accessible state to the desired ground state by tuning the Rabi

Experimental reconstruction of the Berry curvature in a topological Bloch band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weitenberg, Christof; Flaeschner, Nick; Rem, Benno; Tarnowski, Matthias; Vogel, Dominik; Luehmann, Dirk-Soeren; Sengstock, Klaus

2016-05-01

Topological properties lie at the heart of many fascinating phenomena in solid state systems such as quantum Hall systems or Chern insulators. The topology can be captured by the distribution of Berry curvature, which describes the geometry of the eigenstates across the Brillouin zone. Employing fermionic ultracold atoms in a hexagonal optical lattice, we engineer the Berry curvature of the Bloch bands using resonant driving and measure it with full momentum resolution. Our results pave the way to explore intriguing phases of matter with interactions in topological band structures.

Quench-induced Floquet topological p-wave superfluids.

PubMed

Foster, Matthew S; Gurarie, Victor; Dzero, Maxim; Yuzbashyan, Emil A

2014-08-15

Ultracold atomic gases in two dimensions tuned close to a p-wave Feshbach resonance were expected to exhibit topological superfluidity, but these were found to be experimentally unstable. We show that one can induce a topological Floquet superfluid if weakly interacting atoms are brought suddenly close ("quenched") to such a resonance, in the time before the instability kicks in. The resulting superfluid possesses Majorana edge modes, yet differs from a conventional Floquet system as it is not driven externally. Instead, the periodic modulation is self-generated by the dynamics.

Measurement of optical Feshbach resonances in an ideal gas.

PubMed

Blatt, S; Nicholson, T L; Bloom, B J; Williams, J R; Thomsen, J W; Julienne, P S; Ye, J

2011-08-12

Using a narrow intercombination line in alkaline earth atoms to mitigate large inelastic losses, we explore the optical Feshbach resonance effect in an ultracold gas of bosonic (88)Sr. A systematic measurement of three resonances allows precise determinations of the optical Feshbach resonance strength and scaling law, in agreement with coupled-channel theory. Resonant enhancement of the complex scattering length leads to thermalization mediated by elastic and inelastic collisions in an otherwise ideal gas. Optical Feshbach resonance could be used to control atomic interactions with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Interaction of Radiation with Graphene Based Nanomaterials for Sensing Fissile Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

about how ionizing radiation (gamma rays, neutrons ) and associated charged particles interact with nano-materials/structures based on graphene, which...various experimental tests of effect of light, X-rays, gamma-rays and neutrons on graphene & graphene FET) 2. What other organizations have been...knowledge about how ionizing radiation (gamma rays, neutrons ) and associated charged particles interact with nano- materials/structures based on graphene

The Fundamental Neutron Physics Facilities at NIST.

PubMed

Nico, J S; Arif, M; Dewey, M S; Gentile, T R; Gilliam, D M; Huffman, P R; Jacobson, D L; Thompson, A K

2005-01-01

The program in fundamental neutron physics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began nearly two decades ago. The Neutron Interactions and Dosimetry Group currently maintains four neutron beam lines dedicated to studies of fundamental neutron interactions. The neutrons are provided by the NIST Center for Neutron Research, a national user facility for studies that include condensed matter physics, materials science, nuclear chemistry, and biological science. The beam lines for fundamental physics experiments include a high-intensity polychromatic beam, a 0.496 nm monochromatic beam, a 0.89 nm monochromatic beam, and a neutron interferometer and optics facility. This paper discusses some of the parameters of the beam lines along with brief presentations of some of the experiments performed at the facilities.

The Fundamental Neutron Physics Facilities at NIST

PubMed Central

Nico, J. S.; Arif, M.; Dewey, M. S.; Gentile, T. R.; Gilliam, D. M.; Huffman, P. R.; Jacobson, D. L.; Thompson, A. K.

2005-01-01

The program in fundamental neutron physics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began nearly two decades ago. The Neutron Interactions and Dosimetry Group currently maintains four neutron beam lines dedicated to studies of fundamental neutron interactions. The neutrons are provided by the NIST Center for Neutron Research, a national user facility for studies that include condensed matter physics, materials science, nuclear chemistry, and biological science. The beam lines for fundamental physics experiments include a high-intensity polychromatic beam, a 0.496 nm monochromatic beam, a 0.89 nm monochromatic beam, and a neutron interferometer and optics facility. This paper discusses some of the parameters of the beam lines along with brief presentations of some of the experiments performed at the facilities. PMID:27308110

Two Impurities in a Bose-Einstein Condensate: From Yukawa to Efimov Attracted Polarons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naidon, Pascal

2018-04-01

The well-known Yukawa and Efimov potentials are two different mediated interaction potentials. The first one arises in quantum field theory from the exchange of virtual particles. The second one is mediated by a real particle resonantly interacting with two other particles. This Letter shows how two impurities immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate can exhibit both phenomena. For a weak attraction with the condensate, the two impurities form two polarons that interact through a weak Yukawa attraction mediated by virtual excitations. For a resonant attraction with the condensate, the exchanged excitation becomes a real boson and the mediated interaction changes to a strong Efimov attraction that can bind the two polarons. The resulting bipolarons turn into in-medium Efimov trimers made of the two impurities and one boson. Evidence of this physics could be seen in ultracold mixtures of atoms.

Exotic topological density waves in cold atomic Rydberg-dressed fermions

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaopeng; Sarma, S Das

2015-01-01

Versatile controllability of interactions in ultracold atomic and molecular gases has now reached an era where quantum correlations and unconventional many-body phases can be studied with no corresponding analogues in solid-state systems. Recent experiments in Rydberg atomic gases have achieved exquisite control over non-local interactions, allowing novel quantum phases unreachable with the usual local interactions in atomic systems. Here we study Rydberg-dressed atomic fermions in a three-dimensional optical lattice predicting the existence of hitherto unheard-of exotic mixed topological density wave phases. By varying the spatial range of the non-local interaction, we find various chiral density waves with spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking, whose quasiparticles form three-dimensional quantum Hall and Weyl semimetal states. Remarkably, certain density waves even exhibit mixed topologies beyond the existing topological classification. Our results suggest gapless fermionic states could exhibit far richer topology than previously expected. PMID:25972134

Universal Themes of Bose-Einstein Condensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proukakis, Nick P.; Snoke, David W.; Littlewood, Peter B.

2017-04-01

Foreword; List of contributors; Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. Universality and Bose-Einstein condensation: perspectives on recent work D. W. Snoke, N. P. Proukakis, T. Giamarchi and P. B. Littlewood; 2. A history of Bose-Einstein condensation of atomic hydrogen T. Greytak and D. Kleppner; 3. Twenty years of atomic quantum gases: 1995-2015 W. Ketterle; 4. Introduction to polariton condensation P. B. Littlewood and A. Edelman; Part II. General Topics: Editorial notes; 5. The question of spontaneous symmetry breaking in condensates D. W. Snoke and A. J. Daley; 6. Effects of interactions on Bose-Einstein condensation R. P. Smith; 7. Formation of Bose-Einstein condensates M. J. Davis, T. M. Wright, T. Gasenzer, S. A. Gardiner and N. P. Proukakis; 8. Quenches, relaxation and pre-thermalization in an isolated quantum system T. Langen and J. Schmiedmayer; 9. Ultracold gases with intrinsic scale invariance C. Chin; 10. Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase of a driven-dissipative condensate N. Y. Kim, W. H. Nitsche and Y. Yamamoto; 11. Superfluidity and phase correlations of driven dissipative condensates J. Keeling, L. M. Sieberer, E. Altman, L. Chen, S. Diehl and J. Toner; 12. BEC to BCS crossover from superconductors to polaritons A. Edelman and P. B. Littlewood; Part III. Condensates in Atomic Physics: Editorial notes; 13. Probing and controlling strongly correlated quantum many-body systems using ultracold quantum gases I. Bloch; 14. Preparing and probing chern bands with cold atoms N. Goldman, N. R. Cooper and J. Dalibard; 15. Bose-Einstein condensates in artificial gauge fields L. J. LeBlanc and I. B. Spielman; 16. Second sound in ultracold atomic gases L. Pitaevskii and S. Stringari; 17. Quantum turbulence in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates N. G. Parker, A. J. Allen, C. F. Barenghi and N. P. Proukakis; 18. Spinor-dipolar aspects of Bose-Einstein condensation M. Ueda; Part IV. Condensates in Condensed Matter Physics: Editorial notes; 19. Bose-Einstein condensation of photons and grand-canonical condensate fluctuations J. Klaers and M. Weitz; 20. Laser operation and Bose-Einstein condensation: analogies and differences A. Chiocchetta, A. Gambassi and I. Carusotto; 21. Vortices in resonant polariton condensates in semiconductor microcavities D. N. Krizhanovskii, K. Guda, M. Sich, M. S. Skolnick, L. Dominici and D. Sanvitto; 22. Optical control of polariton condensates G. Christmann, P. G. Savvidis and J. J. Baumberg; 23. Disorder, synchronization and phase-locking in non-equilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates P. R. Eastham and B. Rosenow; 24. Collective topological excitations in 1D polariton quantum fluids H. Terças, D. D. Solnyshkov and G. Malpuech; 25. Microscopic theory of Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons at room temperature H. Salman, N. G. Berloff and S. O. Demokritov; 26. Spintronics and magnon Bose-Einstein condensation R. A. Duine, A. Brataas, S. A. Bender and Y. Tserkovnyak; 27. Spin-superfluidity and spin-current mediated non-local transport H. Chen and A. H. MacDonald; 28. Bose-Einstein condensation in quantum magnets C. Kollath, T. Giamarchi and C. Rüegg; Part V. Condensates in Astrophysics and Cosmology: Editorial notes; 29. Bose-Einstein condensates in neutron stars C. J. Pethick, T. Schäfer and A. Schwenk; 30. A simulated cosmological metric: the superfluid 3He condensate G. R. Pickett; 31. Cosmic axion Bose-Einstein condensation N. Banik and P. Sikivie; 32. Graviton BECs: a new approach to quantum gravity G. Dvali and C. Gomez; Universal Bose-Einstein condensation workshop; Index.

Topological effects in quantum mechanics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peshkin, M.; Lipkin, H.J.

We completed our analysis of experiments, some completed, some planned, and some only conceptual at present, that purport to demonstrate new kinds of non-local and topological effects in the interaction of a neutron with an external electromagnetic field. In the Aharonov-Casher effect (AC), the neutron interacts with an electric field and in the Scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect (SAB) the neutron interacts with a magnetic field. In both cases, the geometry can be arranged so that there is no force on the neutron but an interference experiment nevertheless finds a phase shift proportional to the applied field and to the neutron`s magneticmore » moment. Previously, we showed that the accepted interpretation of these phenomena as topological effects due to a non-local interaction between the neutron and the electromagnetic field is incorrect. Both AC and SAB follow from local torques on the neutron whose expectation values vanish at every instant but which have non-vanishing effect on the measurable spin-correlation variables S(t) = (1/2) [{sigma}{sub x}{sigma}{sub x}(t) + {sigma}{sub y}(0){sigma}{sub y}(t) + h.c.] and V(t) = [{sigma}{sub x}(0){sigma}{sub y}(t) - {sigma}{sub y}(0){sigma}{sub x}(t) + h.c.]. We have now completed this work by observing that a criterion often used for identifying a topological effect, energy independence of the phase shift between two arms of an interferometer, is only a necessary condition, and by describing a phase shifter which obeys the energy-independence condition but whose interaction with the neutron is neither topological nor even non-local.« less

Collisional Cooling of Light Ions by Cotrapped Heavy Atoms.

PubMed

Dutta, Sourav; Sawant, Rahul; Rangwala, S A

2017-03-17

We experimentally demonstrate cooling of trapped ions by collisions with cotrapped, higher-mass neutral atoms. It is shown that the lighter ^{39}K^{+} ions, created by ionizing ^{39}K atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), when trapped in an ion trap and subsequently allowed to cool by collisions with ultracold, heavier ^{85}Rb atoms in a MOT, exhibit a longer trap lifetime than without the localized ^{85}Rb MOT atoms. A similar cooling of trapped ^{85}Rb^{+} ions by ultracold ^{133}Cs atoms in a MOT is also demonstrated in a different experimental configuration to validate this mechanism of ion cooling by localized and centered ultracold neutral atoms. Our results suggest that the cooling of ions by localized cold atoms holds for any mass ratio, thereby enabling studies on a wider class of atom-ion systems irrespective of their masses.

The charge imbalance in ultracold plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Tianxing; Lu, Ronghua, E-mail: lurh@siom.ac.cn; Guo, Li

2016-09-15

Ultracold plasmas are regarded as quasineutral but not strictly neutral. The results of charge imbalance in the expansion of ultracold plasmas are reported. The calculations are performed by a full molecular-dynamics simulation. The details of the electron velocity distributions are calculated without the assumption of electron global thermal equilibrium and Boltzmann distribution. Spontaneous evolutions of the charge imbalance from the initial states with perfect neutrality are given in the simulations. The expansion of outer plasma slows down with the charge imbalance. The influences of plasma size and parameters on the charge imbalance are discussed. The radial profiles of electron temperaturemore » are given for the first time, and the self-similar expansion can still occur even if there is no global thermal equilibrium. The electron disorder induced heating is also found in the simulation.« less

Universality and chaoticity in ultracold K+KRb chemical reactions

DOE PAGES

Croft, J. F. E.; Makrides, C.; Li, M.; ...

2017-07-19

A fundamental question in the study of chemical reactions is how reactions proceed at a collision energy close to absolute zero. This question is no longer hypothetical: quantum degenerate gases of atoms and molecules can now be created at temperatures lower than a few tens of nanokelvin. Here we consider the benchmark ultracold reaction between, the most-celebrated ultracold molecule, KRb and K. We map out an accurate ab initio ground-state potential energy surface of the K 2Rb complex in full dimensionality and report numerically-exact quantum-mechanical reaction dynamics. The distribution of rotationally resolved rates is shown to be Poissonian. An analysismore » of the hyperspherical adiabatic potential curves explains this statistical character revealing a chaotic distribution for the short-range collision complex that plays a key role in governing the reaction outcome.« less

Atomtronics: Realizing the behavior of electronic components in ultracold atomic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepino, Ron

2007-06-01

Atomtronics focuses on creating an analogy of electronic devices and circuits with ultracold atoms. Such an analogy can come from the highly tunable band structure of ultracold neutral atoms trapped in optical lattices. Solely by tuning the parameters of the optical lattice, we demonstrate that conditions can be created that cause atoms in lattices to exhibit the same behavior as electrons moving through solid state media. We present our model and show how the atomtronic diode, field effect transistor, and bipolar junction transistor can all be realized. Our analogs of these fundamental components exhibit precisely-controlled atomic signal amplification, trimming, and switching (on/off) characteristics. In addition, the evolution of dynamics of the superfluid atomic currents within these systems is completely reversible. This implies a possible use of atomtronic systems in the development of quantum computational devices.

Quantum Simulation of the Hubbard Model Using Ultra-Cold Atoms

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

explore phases that do not yet have analogous behavior in QCD . ..,.. Ultracold fennions in optical lattices . The evolution from BCS to BEC...trimer states. The three-component Fermi gas we have created will, when confined in an optical lattice , be an experimental realization of the SU(3...chromodynamics ( QCD ): the color superconducting phase and the formation of baryons. Our initial investigations have focused on understanding three-body

Quantum Engineering of Strongly Correlated Matter with Ultracold Fermi Gases

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

aim at realizing model systems of strongly correlated, disordered electrons using ultracold fermionic atoms stored in an optical "crystal". The general...theme is to study high-temperature superfluids, Fermi liquids ("metals") and insulators in the presence of disordered impurities whose influence on...Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Education (PECASE). In this program, we aim at realizing model systems of strongly correlated, disordered

Importance of geometric phase effects in ultracold chemistry

DOE PAGES

Hazra, Jisha; Kendrick, Brian K.; Balakrishnan, Naduvalath

2015-08-28

Here, it is demonstrated that the inclusion of the geometric phase has an important effect on ultracold chemical reaction rates. The effect appears in rotationally and vibrationally resolved integral cross sections as well as cross sections summed over all product quantum states. The effect arises from interference between scattering amplitudes of two reaction pathways: a direct path and a looping path that encircle the conical intersection between the two lowest adiabatic electronic potential energy surfaces. It is magnified when the two scattering amplitudes have comparable magnitude and they scatter into the same angular region which occurs in the isotropic scatteringmore » characteristic of the ultracold regime (s-wave scattering). Results are presented for the O + OH → H + O 2 reaction for total angular momentum quantum number J = 0–5. Large geometric phase effects occur for collision energies below 0.1 K, but the effect vanishes at higher energies when contributions from different partial waves are included. It is also qualitatively demonstrated that the geometric phase effect can be modulated by applying an external electric field allowing the possibility of quantum control of chemical reactions in the ultracold regime. In this case, the geometric phase plays the role of a “quantum switch” which can turn the reaction “on” or “off”.« less

PELAN applications and recent field tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Juan J.; Holslin, Daniel T.

2004-10-01

When neutrons interact with particular nuclei, the resulting energy of the interaction can be released in the form of gamma rays, which are characteristic of the nucleus involved in the reaction. The PELAN (Pulsed Elemental Analysis with Neutrons) system uses a pulsed neutron generator and an integral thermalizing shield that induce reactions that cover most of the entire gamma ray energy spectra1. The neutron generator uses a D-T reaction, which releases fast 14MeV neutrons responsible for providing information on those nuclei that mostly respond to inelastic scattering. During the time period between pulses, the fast neutrons undergo multiple inelastic interactions that lower their energy making them easier to be captured by certain nuclei; this energy spectrum of gamma rays induced by these interactions are designated as the gamma ray thermal spectra. The PELAN system has been used for a number of applications where non-intrusive, non-destructive interrogation is needed. Although Pulsed Fast Thermal Neutron Analysis (PFTNA) has been around for approximately 30 years, the technology has never been successfully commercialized for practical applications. The following report illustrates examples of the performance of on a number of applications of interrogation of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), mine confirmation, large vehicle bombs inspection and illicit drug smuggling detection.

Phase diagrams of vortex matter with multi-scale inter-vortex interactions in layered superconductors.

PubMed

Meng, Qingyou; Varney, Christopher N; Fangohr, Hans; Babaev, Egor

2017-01-25

It was recently proposed to use the stray magnetic fields of superconducting vortex lattices to trap ultracold atoms for building quantum emulators. This calls for new methods for engineering and manipulating of the vortex states. One of the possible routes utilizes type-1.5 superconducting layered systems with multi-scale inter-vortex interactions. In order to explore the possible vortex states that can be engineered, we present two phase diagrams of phenomenological vortex matter models with multi-scale inter-vortex interactions featuring several attractive and repulsive length scales. The phase diagrams exhibit a plethora of phases, including conventional 2D lattice phases, five stripe phases, dimer, trimer, and tetramer phases, void phases, and stable low-temperature disordered phases. The transitions between these states can be controlled by the value of an applied external field.

Strongly interacting Sarma superfluid near orbital Feshbach resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Peng; He, Lianyi; Liu, Xia-Ji; Hu, Hui

2018-04-01

We investigate the nature of superfluid pairing in a strongly interacting Fermi gas near orbital Feshbach resonances with spin-population imbalance in three dimensions, which can be well described by a two-band or two-channel model. We show that a Sarma superfluid with gapless single-particle excitations is favored in the closed channel at large imbalance. It is thermodynamically stable against the formation of an inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov superfluid and features a well-defined Goldstone-Anderson-Bogoliubov phonon mode and a massive Leggett mode as collective excitations at low momentum. At large momentum, the Leggett mode disappears and the phonon mode becomes damped at zero temperature, due to the coupling to the particle-hole excitations. We discuss possible experimental observation of a strongly interacting Sarma superfluid with ultracold alkaline-earth-metal Fermi gases.

Dicke superradiance as nondestructive probe for the state of atoms in optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ten Brinke, Nicolai; Schützhold, Ralf

2016-04-01

We present a proposal for a probing scheme utilizing Dicke superradiance to obtain information about ultracold atoms in optical lattices. A probe photon is absorbed collectively by an ensemble of lattice atoms generating a Dicke state. The lattice dynamics (e.g., tunneling) affects the coherence properties of that Dicke state and thus alters the superradiant emission characteristics - which in turn provides insight into the lattice (dynamics). Comparing the Bose-Hubbard and the Fermi-Hubbard model, we find similar superradiance in the strongly interacting Mott insulator regime, but crucial differences in the weakly interacting (superfluid or metallic) phase. Furthermore, we study the possibility to detect whether a quantum phase transition between the two regimes can be considered adiabatic or a quantum quench.

Itinerant ferromagnetism in an interacting Fermi gas with mass imbalance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Keyserlingk, C. W.; Conduit, G. J.

2011-05-01

We study the emergence of itinerant ferromagnetism in an ultracold atomic gas with a variable mass ratio between the up- and down-spin species. Mass imbalance breaks the SU(2) spin symmetry, leading to a modified Stoner criterion. We first elucidate the phase behavior in both the grand canonical and canonical ensembles. Second, we apply the formalism to a harmonic trap to demonstrate how a mass imbalance delivers unique experimental signatures of ferromagnetism. These could help future experiments to better identify the putative ferromagnetic state. Furthermore, we highlight how a mass imbalance suppresses the three-body loss processes that handicap the formation of a ferromagnetic state. Finally, we study the time-dependent formation of the ferromagnetic phase following a quench in the interaction strength.

Competing orders in the Hofstadter t -J model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Wei-Lin; Schindler, Frank; Neupert, Titus; Poilblanc, Didier

2018-01-01

The Hofstadter model describes noninteracting fermions on a lattice in the presence of an external magnetic field. Motivated by the plethora of solid-state phases emerging from electron interactions, we consider an interacting version of the Hofstadter model, including a Hubbard repulsion U . We investigate this model in the large-U limit corresponding to a t -J Hamiltonian with an external (orbital) magnetic field. By using renormalized mean-field theory supplemented by exact diagonalization calculations of small clusters, we find evidence for competing symmetry-breaking phases, exhibiting (possibly coexisting) charge, bond, and superconducting orders. Topological properties of the states are also investigated, and some of our results are compared to related experiments involving ultracold atoms loaded on optical lattices in the presence of a synthetic gauge field.

Measurement of the Equation of State of the Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Luke; Cocchi, Eugenio; Drewes, Jan; Koschorreck, Marco; Pertot, Daniel; Brennecke, Ferdinand; Koehl, Michael

2016-05-01

The subtle interplay between kinetic energy, interactions and dimensionality challenges our comprehension of strongly-correlated physics observed, for example, in the solid state. In this quest, the Hubbard model has emerged as a conceptually simple, yet rich model describing such physics. Here we present an experimental determination of the equation of state of the repulsive two-dimensional Hubbard model over a broad range of interactions, 0 <= U / t <= 20 , and temperatures, down to kB T / t = 0 . 63(2) using high-resolution imaging of ultracold fermionic atoms in optical lattices. We show density profiles, compressibilities and double occupancies over the whole doping range, and hence our results constitute benchmarks for state-of-the-art theoretical approaches.

Boron nitride solid state neutron detector

DOEpatents

Doty, F. Patrick

2004-04-27

The present invention describes an apparatus useful for detecting neutrons, and particularly for detecting thermal neutrons, while remaining insensitive to gamma radiation. Neutrons are detected by direct measurement of current pulses produced by an interaction of the neutrons with hexagonal pyrolytic boron nitride.

Recent Progress in Studies of Nanostructured Impurity Helium Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khmelenko, V. V.; Kunttu, H.; Lee, D. M.

2007-07-01

Impurity helium (Im He) solids are porous materials formed inside superfluid 4He by nanoclusters of impurities injected from the gas phase. The results of studies of these materials have relevance to soft condensed matter physics, matrix isolation of free radicals and low temperature chemistry. Recent studies by a variety of experimental techniques, including CW and pulse ESR, X-ray diffraction, ultrasound and Raman spectroscopy allow a better characterization of the properties of Im He solids. The structure of Im He solids, the trapping sites of stabilized atoms and the possible energy content of the samples are analyzed on the basis of experimental data. The kinetics of exchange tunneling reactions of hydrogen isotopes in nanoclusters and the changes of environment of the atoms during the course of these reactions are reviewed. Analysis of the ESR data shows that very large fraction of the stabilized atoms in Im He solids reside on the surfaces of impurity nanoclusters. The future directions for studying Im He solids are described. Among the most attractive are the studies of Im He solids with high concentrations of stabilized atoms at ultralow (10 20 mK) temperature for the observation of new collective quantum phenomena, the studies of practical application of Im He solids as a medium in neutron moderator for efficient production of ultracold (˜1 mK) neutrons, and the possibilities of obtaining high concentration of atomic nitrogen embedded in N2 clusters for energy storage.

Second-scale nuclear spin coherence time of ultracold 23Na40K molecules.

PubMed

Park, Jee Woo; Yan, Zoe Z; Loh, Huanqian; Will, Sebastian A; Zwierlein, Martin W

2017-07-28

Coherence, the stability of the relative phase between quantum states, is central to quantum mechanics and its applications. For ultracold dipolar molecules at sub-microkelvin temperatures, internal states with robust coherence are predicted to offer rich prospects for quantum many-body physics and quantum information processing. We report the observation of stable coherence between nuclear spin states of ultracold fermionic sodium-potassium (NaK) molecules in the singlet rovibrational ground state. Ramsey spectroscopy reveals coherence times on the scale of 1 second; this enables high-resolution spectroscopy of the molecular gas. Collisional shifts are shown to be absent down to the 100-millihertz level. This work opens the door to the use of molecules as a versatile quantum memory and for precision measurements on dipolar quantum matter. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

State-to-state chemistry for three-body recombination in an ultracold rubidium gas.

PubMed

Wolf, Joschka; Deiß, Markus; Krükow, Artjom; Tiemann, Eberhard; Ruzic, Brandon P; Wang, Yujun; D'Incao, José P; Julienne, Paul S; Denschlag, Johannes Hecker

2017-11-17

Experimental investigation of chemical reactions with full quantum state resolution for all reactants and products has been a long-term challenge. Here we prepare an ultracold few-body quantum state of reactants and demonstrate state-to-state chemistry for the recombination of three spin-polarized ultracold rubidium (Rb) atoms to form a weakly bound Rb 2 molecule. The measured product distribution covers about 90% of the final products, and we are able to discriminate between product states with a level splitting as small as 20 megahertz multiplied by Planck's constant. Furthermore, we formulate propensity rules for the distribution of products, and we develop a theoretical model that predicts many of our experimental observations. The scheme can readily be adapted to other species and opens a door to detailed investigations of inelastic or reactive processes. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Characterizing Feshbach resonances in ultracold scattering calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frye, Matthew D.; Hutson, Jeremy M.

2017-10-01

We describe procedures for converging on and characterizing zero-energy Feshbach resonances that appear in scattering lengths for ultracold atomic and molecular collisions as a function of an external field. The elastic procedure is appropriate for purely elastic scattering, where the scattering length is real and displays a true pole. The regularized scattering length procedure is appropriate when there is weak background inelasticity, so that the scattering length is complex and displays an oscillation rather than a pole, but the resonant scattering length ares is close to real. The fully complex procedure is appropriate when there is substantial background inelasticity and the real and imaginary parts of ares are required. We demonstrate these procedures for scattering of ultracold 85Rb in various initial states. All of them can converge on and provide full characterization of resonances, from initial guesses many thousands of widths away, using scattering calculations at only about ten values of the external field.

Inductively guided circuits for ultracold dressed atoms

PubMed Central

Sinuco-León, German A.; Burrows, Kathryn A.; Arnold, Aidan S.; Garraway, Barry M.

2014-01-01

Recent progress in optics, atomic physics and material science has paved the way to study quantum effects in ultracold atomic alkali gases confined to non-trivial geometries. Multiply connected traps for cold atoms can be prepared by combining inhomogeneous distributions of DC and radio-frequency electromagnetic fields with optical fields that require complex systems for frequency control and stabilization. Here we propose a flexible and robust scheme that creates closed quasi-one-dimensional guides for ultracold atoms through the ‘dressing’ of hyperfine sublevels of the atomic ground state, where the dressing field is spatially modulated by inductive effects over a micro-engineered conducting loop. Remarkably, for commonly used atomic species (for example, 7Li and 87Rb), the guide operation relies entirely on controlling static and low-frequency fields in the regimes of radio-frequency and microwave frequencies. This novel trapping scheme can be implemented with current technology for micro-fabrication and electronic control. PMID:25348163

Monte Carlo studies on neutron interactions in radiobiological experiments

PubMed Central

Shahmohammadi Beni, Mehrdad; Hau, Tak Cheong; Krstic, D.; Nikezic, D.

2017-01-01

Monte Carlo method was used to study the characteristics of neutron interactions with cells underneath a water medium layer with varying thickness. The following results were obtained. (1) The fractions of neutron interaction with 1H, 12C, 14N and 16O nuclei in the cell layer were studied. The fraction with 1H increased with increasing medium thickness, while decreased for 12C, 14N and 16O nuclei. The bulges in the interaction fractions with 12C, 14N and 16O nuclei were explained by the resonance spikes in the interaction cross-section data. The interaction fraction decreased in the order: 1H > 16O > 12C > 14N. (2) In general, as the medium thickness increased, the number of “interacting neutrons” which exited the medium and then further interacted with the cell layer increased. (3) The area under the angular distributions for “interacting neutrons” decreased with increasing incident neutron energy. Such results would be useful for deciphering the reasons behind discrepancies among existing results in the literature. PMID:28704557

Investigation of neutron interactions with Ge detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baginova, Miloslava; Vojtyla, Pavol; Povinec, Pavel P.

2018-07-01

Interactions of neutrons with a high-purity germanium detector were studied experimentally and by simulations using the GEANT4 tool. Elastic and inelastic scattering of fast neutrons as well as neutron capture on Ge nuclei were observed. Peaks induced by inelastic scattering of neutrons on 70Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge and 76Ge were well visible in the γ-ray spectra. In addition, peaks due to inelastic scattering of neutrons on copper and lead nuclei, including the well-known peak of 208Pb at 2614.51 keV, were detected. The GEANT4 simulations showed that the simulated spectrum was in a good agreement with the experimental one. Differences between the simulated and the measured spectra were due to the high γ-ray intensity of the used neutron source, physics implemented in GEANT4 and contamination of the neutron source.

The spectrum of neutrons at 60 hg m(-2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barton, J. C.

1985-01-01

The rate of neutron interactions was measured for the energy range 7.5 to 60 MeV, using a 3.85 kg cell of liquid scintillator. The neutrons are selected by pulse shape discrimination, with anticoincidence counters used to reduce interference from muons transversing the scintillator. The observed flux is interpreted in terms of neutrons produced from environmental uranium and thorium, those resulting from the capture of negative muons in nuclei and those from fast muon interactions.

Neutron matter with Quantum Monte Carlo: chiral 3N forces and static response

DOE PAGES

Buraczynski, M.; Gandolfi, S.; Gezerlis, A.; ...

2016-03-14

Neutron matter is related to the physics of neutron stars and that of neutron-rich nuclei. Moreover, Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods offer a unique way of solving the many-body problem non-perturbatively, providing feedback on features of nuclear interactions and addressing scenarios that are inaccessible to other approaches. Our contribution goes over two recent accomplishments in the theory of neutron matter: a) the fusing of QMC with chiral effective field theory interactions, focusing on local chiral 3N forces, and b) the first attempt to find an ab initio solution to the problem of static response.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Keith; McLaughlin, Brendan M.; Lane, Ian C., E-mail: i.lane@qub.ac.uk

BaH (and its isotopomers) is an attractive molecular candidate for laser cooling to ultracold temperatures and a potential precursor for the production of ultracold gases of hydrogen and deuterium. The theoretical challenge is to simulate the laser cooling cycle as reliably as possible and this paper addresses the generation of a highly accurate ab initio {sup 2}Σ{sup +} potential for such studies. The performance of various basis sets within the multi-reference configuration-interaction (MRCI) approximation with the Davidson correction is tested and taken to the Complete Basis Set (CBS) limit. It is shown that the calculated molecular constants using a 46more » electron effective core-potential and even-tempered augmented polarized core-valence basis sets (aug-pCVnZ-PP, n = 4 and 5) but only including three active electrons in the MRCI calculation are in excellent agreement with the available experimental values. The predicted dissociation energy D{sub e} for the X{sup 2}Σ{sup +} state (extrapolated to the CBS limit) is 16 895.12 cm{sup −1} (2.094 eV), which agrees within 0.1% of a revised experimental value of <16 910.6 cm{sup −1}, while the calculated r{sub e} is within 0.03 pm of the experimental result.« less

Towards fundamental understanding of ultracold KRb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotochigova, Svetlana

2009-05-01

The recent formation of ultracold KRb molecules in their absolute rovibrational ground state [1] has created great promise for study of collective phenomena that rely on the long-range interactions between polar molecules. Here we discuss the theoretical analysis of various essential properties of the KRb molecules [2] that accompanied these experimental advances. This analysis is based on multi-channel bound-state calculations of both ground and excited electronic states. We have found that the theoretical hyperfine and Zeeman mixed X^1&+circ; and a^3&+circ; vibrational structure shows excellent agreement with the experimentally observed structure. In addition, multi-channel calculations of the rovibrational structure of the excited state potentials have allowed us to find the optimal transitions to the lowest v=0 vibrational levels. Finally, we examine the dynamic polarizability of vibrationally cold KRb molecules as a function of laser frequency. Based on this knowledge, laser frequencies can be selected to minimize decoherence from loss of molecules due to spontaneous or laser-induced transitions. [1] K.-K. Ni, S. Ospelkaus, M. H. G. de Miranda, A. Peer, B. Neyenhuis, J. J. Zirbel, S. Kotochigova, P. S. Julienne, D. S. Jin, and J. Ye, Science 322, 231 (2008). [2] S. Kotochigova, E. Tiesinga, and P. S. Julienne, submitted to New J. Phys. (2009).

Ab initio study of the neutral and anionic alkali and alkaline earth hydroxides: Electronic structure and prospects for sympathetic cooling of OH−

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We have performed a systematic ab initio study on alkali and alkaline earth hydroxide neutral (MOH) and anionic (MOH−) species where M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba. The CCSD(T) method with extended basis sets and Dirac-Fock relativistic effective core potentials for the heavier atoms has been used to study their equilibrium geometries, interaction energies, electron affinities, electric dipole moment, and potential energy surfaces. All neutral and anionic species exhibit a linear shape with the exception of BeOH, BeOH−, and MgOH−, for which the equilibrium structure is found to be bent. Our analysis shows that the alkaline earth hydroxide anions are valence-bound whereas the alkali hydroxide anions are dipole bound. In the context of sympathetic cooling of OH− by collision with ultracold alkali and alkaline earth atoms, we investigate the 2D MOH− potential energy surfaces and the associative detachment reaction M + OH→− MOH + e−, which is the only energetically allowed reactive channel in the cold regime. We discuss the implication for the sympathetic cooling of OH− and conclude that Li and K are the best candidates for an ultracold buffer gas. PMID:28527437

Ultracold Chemical Reactions of a Single Rydberg Atom in a Dense Gas

DOE PAGES

Schlagmüller, Michael; Liebisch, Tara Cubel; Engel, Felix; ...

2016-08-10

Within a dense environment (ρ ≈ 10 14 atoms/cm 3) at ultracold temperatures (T < 1 μK), a single atom excited to a Rydberg state acts as a reaction center for surrounding neutral atoms. At these temperatures, almost all neutral atoms within the Rydberg orbit are bound to the Rydberg core and interact with the Rydberg atom. We have studied the reaction rate and products for nS 87Rb Rydberg states, and we mainly observe a state change of the Rydberg electron to a high orbital angular momentum l, with the released energy being converted into kinetic energy of the Rydberg atom. Unexpectedly, the measurements show a threshold behavior at n ≈ 100 for the inelastic collision time leading to increased lifetimes of the Rydberg state independent of the densities investigated. Even at very high densities (ρ ≈ 4.8 x 10 14 cm -3), the lifetime of a Rydberg atom exceeds 10 μs at n > 140 compared to 1 μs at n = 90. In addition, a second observed reaction mechanism, namely, Rbmore » $$+\\atop{2}$$ molecule formation, was studied. Both reaction products are equally probable for n = 40, but the fraction of Rb + 2 created drops to below 10% for n ≥ 90.« less

Method and apparatus for detecting neutrons

DOEpatents

Perkins, R.W.; Reeder, P.L.; Wogman, N.A.; Warner, R.A.; Brite, D.W.; Richey, W.C.; Goldman, D.S.

1997-10-21

The instant invention is a method for making and using an apparatus for detecting neutrons. Scintillating optical fibers are fabricated by melting SiO{sub 2} with a thermal neutron capturing substance and a scintillating material in a reducing atmosphere. The melt is then drawn into fibers in an anoxic atmosphere. The fibers may then be coated and used directly in a neutron detection apparatus, or assembled into a geometrical array in a second, hydrogen-rich, scintillating material such as a polymer. Photons generated by interaction with thermal neutrons are trapped within the coated fibers and are directed to photoelectric converters. A measurable electronic signal is generated for each thermal neutron interaction within the fiber. These electronic signals are then manipulated, stored, and interpreted by normal methods to infer the quality and quantity of incident radiation. When the fibers are arranged in an array within a second scintillating material, photons generated by kinetic neutrons interacting with the second scintillating material and photons generated by thermal neutron capture within the fiber can both be directed to photoelectric converters. These electronic signals are then manipulated, stored, and interpreted by normal methods to infer the quality and quantity of incident radiation. 5 figs.

Method and apparatus for detecting neutrons

DOEpatents

Perkins, Richard W.; Reeder, Paul L.; Wogman, Ned A.; Warner, Ray A.; Brite, Daniel W.; Richey, Wayne C.; Goldman, Don S.

1997-01-01

The instant invention is a method for making and using an apparatus for detecting neutrons. Scintillating optical fibers are fabricated by melting SiO.sub.2 with a thermal neutron capturing substance and a scintillating material in a reducing atmosphere. The melt is then drawn into fibers in an anoxic atmosphere. The fibers may then be coated and used directly in a neutron detection apparatus, or assembled into a geometrical array in a second, hydrogen-rich, scintillating material such as a polymer. Photons generated by interaction with thermal neutrons are trapped within the coated fibers and are directed to photoelectric converters. A measurable electronic signal is generated for each thermal neutron interaction within the fiber. These electronic signals are then manipulated, stored, and interpreted by normal methods to infer the quality and quantity of incident radiation. When the fibers are arranged in an array within a second scintillating material, photons generated by kinetic neutrons interacting with the second scintillating material and photons generated by thermal neutron capture within the fiber can both be directed to photoelectric converters. These electronic signals are then manipulated, stored, and interpreted by normal methods to infer the quality and quantity of incident radiation.

On the Pressure of a Neutron Gas Interacting with the Non-Uniform Magnetic Field of a Neutron Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skobelev, V. V.

2018-04-01

On the basis of simple arguments, practically not going beyond the scope of an undergraduate course in general physics, we estimate the additional pressure (at zero temperature) of degenerate neutron matter due to its interaction with the non-uniform magnetic field of a neutron star. This work has methodological and possibly scientific value as an intuitive application of the content of such a course to a solution of topical problems of astrophysics.

Pulsed Neurton Elemental On-Line Material Analyzer

DOEpatents

Vourvopoulos, George

2002-08-20

An on-line material analyzer which utilizes pulsed neutron generation in order to determine the composition of material flowing through the apparatus. The on-line elemental material analyzer is based on a pulsed neutron generator. The elements in the material interact with the fast and thermal neutrons produced from the pulsed generator. Spectra of gamma-rays produced from fast neutrons interacting with elements of the material are analyzed and stored separately from spectra produced from thermal neutron reactions. Measurements of neutron activation takes place separately from the above reactions and at a distance from the neutron generator. A primary passageway allows the material to flow through at a constant rate of speed and operators to provide data corresponding to fast and thermal neutron reactions. A secondary passageway meters the material to allow for neutron activation analysis. The apparatus also has the capability to determine the density of the flowed material. Finally, the apparatus continually utilizes a neutron detector in order to normalize the yield of the gamma ray detectors and thereby automatically calibrates and adjusts the spectra data for fluctuations in neutron generation.

Quantum simulation of strongly correlated condensed matter systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofstetter, W.; Qin, T.

2018-04-01

We review recent experimental and theoretical progress in realizing and simulating many-body phases of ultracold atoms in optical lattices, which gives access to analog quantum simulations of fundamental model Hamiltonians for strongly correlated condensed matter systems, such as the Hubbard model. After a general introduction to quantum gases in optical lattices, their preparation and cooling, and measurement techniques for relevant observables, we focus on several examples, where quantum simulations of this type have been performed successfully during the past years: Mott-insulator states, itinerant quantum magnetism, disorder-induced localization and its interplay with interactions, and topological quantum states in synthetic gauge fields.

Exploiting Universality in Atoms with Large Scattering Lengths

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braaten, Eric

2012-05-31

The focus of this research project was atoms with scattering lengths that are large compared to the range of their interactions and which therefore exhibit universal behavior at sufficiently low energies. Recent dramatic advances in cooling atoms and in manipulating their scattering lengths have made this phenomenon of practical importance for controlling ultracold atoms and molecules. This research project was aimed at developing a systematically improvable method for calculating few-body observables for atoms with large scattering lengths starting from the universal results as a first approximation. Significant progress towards this goal was made during the five years of the project.

Experimental reconstruction of the Berry curvature in a Floquet Bloch band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fläschner, N.; Rem, B. S.; Tarnowski, M.; Vogel, D.; Lühmann, D.-S.; Sengstock, K.; Weitenberg, C.

2016-05-01

Topological properties lie at the heart of many fascinating phenomena in solid-state systems such as quantum Hall systems or Chern insulators. The topology of the bands can be captured by the distribution of Berry curvature, which describes the geometry of the eigenstates across the Brillouin zone. Using fermionic ultracold atoms in a hexagonal optical lattice, we engineered the Berry curvature of the Bloch bands using resonant driving and show a full momentum-resolved measurement of the ensuing Berry curvature. Our results pave the way to explore intriguing phases of matter with interactions in topological band structures.

Monte-Carlo gamma response simulation of fast/thermal neutron interactions with soil elements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil elemental analysis using characteristic gamma rays induced by neutrons is an effective method of in situ soil content determination. The nuclei of soil elements irradiated by neutrons issue characteristic gamma rays due to both inelastic neutron scattering (e.g., Si, C) and thermal neutron capt...

Lamb-Dicke spectroscopy of atoms in a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre

PubMed Central

Okaba, Shoichi; Takano, Tetsushi; Benabid, Fetah; Bradley, Tom; Vincetti, Luca; Maizelis, Zakhar; Yampol'skii, Valery; Nori, Franco; Katori, Hidetoshi

2014-01-01

Unlike photons, which are conveniently handled by mirrors and optical fibres without loss of coherence, atoms lose their coherence via atom–atom and atom–wall interactions. This decoherence of atoms deteriorates the performance of atomic clocks and magnetometers, and also hinders their miniaturization. Here we report a novel platform for precision spectroscopy. Ultracold strontium atoms inside a kagome-lattice hollow-core photonic crystal fibre are transversely confined by an optical lattice to prevent atoms from interacting with the fibre wall. By confining at most one atom in each lattice site, to avoid atom–atom interactions and Doppler effect, a 7.8-kHz-wide spectrum is observed for the 1S0−3P1(m=0) transition. Atoms singly trapped in a magic lattice in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres improve the optical depth while preserving atomic coherence time. PMID:24934478

Probing the critical exponent of the superfluid fraction in a strongly interacting Fermi gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Hui; Liu, Xia-Ji

2013-11-01

We theoretically investigate the critical behavior of a second-sound mode in a harmonically trapped ultracold atomic Fermi gas with resonant interactions. Near the superfluid phase transition with critical temperature Tc, the frequency or the sound velocity of the second-sound mode crucially depends on the critical exponent β of the superfluid fraction. In an isotropic harmonic trap, we predict that the mode frequency diverges like (1-T/Tc)β-1/2 when β<1/2. In a highly elongated trap, the speed of the second sound reduces by a factor of 1/2β+1 from that in a homogeneous three-dimensional superfluid. Our prediction could readily be tested by measurements of second-sound wave propagation in a setup, such as that exploited by Sidorenkov [Nature (London)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature12136 498, 78 (2013)] for resonantly interacting lithium-6 atoms, once the experimental precision is improved.

Highlights of modern nuclear structure.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daly, P. J.

1998-09-11

Excitations of nuclei close to magic {sup 132}Sn have been investigated by analysis of fission product {gamma}-ray data measured at Eurogam II using a {sup 248}Cm source. Results for the N=82 isotopes up to {sup 136}Xe, for the one proton-one neutron nucleus {sup 134}Sb, and for the N=84 isotones {sup 134}Sn. {sup 135}Sb, and {sup 136}Te are summarized. The interpretation of the observed level spectra is mainly based on shell model calculations using empirical proton-proton interactions from {sup 134}Te, neutron-neutron interactions from is {sup 134}Sn, and proton-neutron interactions estimated (with scaling as A{sup {minus}1/3}) from the well-known {sup 210}Bi spectrum.

Radiation doses and neutron irridation effects on human cells based on calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radojevic, B. B.; Cukavac, M.; Jovanovic, D.

In general, main aim of our paper is to follow influence of neutron's radiation on materials, but one of possible applications of fast neutrons in therapeutical reasons i.e. their influence on carcinom cells of difficuilt geometries in human bodies too. Interactions between neutrons and human cells of tissue are analysed here. We know that the light nuclei of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen are main constituents of human cells, and that different nuclear models are usually used to present interactions of nuclear particles with mentioned elements. Some of most widely used pre-equilibrium nuclear models are: intranuclear cascade model (ICN), Harp-Miller-Berne (HMB), geometry-dependent hybrid (GDH) and exciton models (EM). In this paper is studied and calculated the primary energetic spectra of the secundary particles (neutrons, protons, and gamas) emitted from this interactions, and followed by corresponding integral cross sections, based on exciton model (EM). The total emission cross-section is the sum of emissions in all stages of energies. Obtained spectra for interactions type of (n, n'), (n, p), and (n, ?), for various incident neutron energies in the interval from 3 MeV up to 30 MeV are analysed too. Some results of calculations are presented here.

Artificial Gauge Fields for Ultracold Neutral Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez-Garcia, Karina

2013-05-01

Ultracold atoms are a versatile probe for physics at the core of the most intriguing and fascinating systems in the quantum world. Due to the high degree of experimental control offered by such systems, effective Hamiltonians can be designed and experimentally implemented on them. This unique feature makes ultracold atom systems ideal for quantum simulation of complex phenomena as important as high-temperature superconductivity, and recently of novel artificial gauge fields. Suitably designed artificial gauge fields allow neutral particles to experience synthetic- electric or magnetic fields; furthermore, their generalization to matrix valued gauge fields leads to spin-orbit coupling featuring unprecedented control in contrast to ordinary condensed matter systems, thus allowing the characterization of the underlying mechanism of phenomena such as the spin Hall effect and topological insulators. In this talk, I will present an overview of our experiments on quantum simulation with ultracold atom systems by focusing on the realization of light induced artificial gauge fields. We illuminate our Bose-Einstein condensates with a pair of far detuned ``Raman'' lasers, thus creating dressed states that are spin and momentum superpositions. We adiabatically load the atoms into the lowest energy dressed state, where they acquire an experimentally-tunable effective dispersion relation, i.e. we introduce gauge terms into the Hamiltonian. We control such light-induced gauge terms via the strength of the Raman coupling and the detuning from Raman resonance. Our experimental techniques for ultracold bosons have surpassed the apparent limitations imposed by their neutral charge, bosonic nature, and ultra-low energy and have allowed the observation of these new and exciting phenomena. Future work might allow the realization of the bosonic quantum Hall effect, of topological insulators and of systems supporting Majorana fermions using cold atoms. This work was partially supported by the ONR; the ARO with funds from the DARPA OLE program; the Atomtronics MURI; and the NSF through the PFC at the JQI. I acknowledge the support from CONACYT.

Tidal interactions of inspiraling compact binaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bildsten, Lars; Cutler, Curt

1992-01-01

We discuss the tidal interaction in neutron star-neutron star and neutron star-black hole binaries and argue that they will not be tidally locked during the gravitational inspiral. More specifically, we show that, for inspiraling neutron stars of mass greater than about 1.2 solar mass, the shortest possible tidal synchronization time exceeds the gravitational decay time, so that the neutron star cannot be tidally locked prior to tidal disruption, regardless of its internal viscosity. For smaller mass neutron stars, an implausibly large kinematic viscosity - nearly the speed of light times the stellar radius - is required for tidal locking. We also argue that the mass transfer which occurs when the neutron star reaches the tidal radius will be unstable in neutron star-black hole binaries, and the instability will destroy the neutron star in a few orbital periods. The implications of our work for the detection of these sources by LIGO and other gravitational wave observatories and for the gamma-ray burst scenarios of Paczynski (1986, 1991) are discussed.

Geometry Survey of the Time-of-Flight Neutron-Elastic Scattering (Antonella) Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oshinowo, Babatunde O.; Izraelevitch, Federico

The Antonella experiment is a measurement of the ionization efficiency of nuclear recoils in silicon at low energies [1]. It is a neutron elastic scattering experiment motivated by the search for dark matter particles. In this experiment, a proton beam hits a lithium target and neutrons are produced. The neutron shower passes through a collimator that produces a neutron beam. The beam illuminates a silicon detector. With a certain probability, a neutron interacts with a silicon nucleus of the detector producing elastic scattering. After the interaction, a fraction of the neutron energy is transferred to the silicon nucleus which acquiresmore » kinetic energy and recoils. This kinetic energy is then dissipated in the detector producing ionization and thermal energy. The ionization produced is measured with the silicon detector electronics. On the other hand, the neutron is scattered out of the beam. A neutron-detector array (made of scintillator bars) registers the neutron arrival time and the scattering angle to reconstruct the kinematics of the neutron-nucleus interaction with the time-of-flight technique [2]. In the reconstruction equations, the energy of the nuclear recoil is a function of the scattering angle with respect to the beam direction, the time-of-flight of the neutron and the geometric distances between components of the setup (neutron-production target, silicon detector, scintillator bars). This paper summarizes the survey of the different components of the experiment that made possible the off-line analysis of the collected data. Measurements were made with the API Radian Laser Tracker and I-360 Probe Wireless. The survey was completed at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA in February 2015.« less

Itinerant ferromagnetism in an interacting Fermi gas with mass imbalance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keyserlingk, C. W. von; Conduit, G. J.; Physics Department, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84105

2011-05-15

We study the emergence of itinerant ferromagnetism in an ultracold atomic gas with a variable mass ratio between the up- and down-spin species. Mass imbalance breaks the SU(2) spin symmetry, leading to a modified Stoner criterion. We first elucidate the phase behavior in both the grand canonical and canonical ensembles. Second, we apply the formalism to a harmonic trap to demonstrate how a mass imbalance delivers unique experimental signatures of ferromagnetism. These could help future experiments to better identify the putative ferromagnetic state. Furthermore, we highlight how a mass imbalance suppresses the three-body loss processes that handicap the formation ofmore » a ferromagnetic state. Finally, we study the time-dependent formation of the ferromagnetic phase following a quench in the interaction strength.« less

Pump-probe study of the formation of rubidium molecules by ultrafast photoassociation of ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCabe, David J.; England, Duncan G.; Martay, Hugo E. L.; Friedman, Melissa E.; Petrovic, Jovana; Dimova, Emiliya; Chatel, Béatrice; Walmsley, Ian A.

2009-09-01

An experimental pump-probe study of the photoassociative creation of translationally ultracold rubidium molecules is presented together with numerical simulations of the process. The formation of loosely bound excited-state dimers is observed as a first step toward a fully coherent pump-dump approach to the stabilization of Rb2 into its lowest ground vibrational states. The population that contributes to the pump-probe process is characterized and found to be distinct from a background population of preassociated molecules.

Experimental observation and determination of the laser-induced frequency shift of hyperfine levels of ultracold polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenliang; Wang, Xiaofeng; Wu, Jizhou; Su, Xingliang; Wang, Shen; Sovkov, Vladimir B.; Ma, Jie; Xiao, Liantuan; Jia, Suotang

2017-08-01

We report on the experimental observation and quantitative determination of the laser-induced frequency shift (LIFS) of the ultracold polar molecules formed by photoassociation (PA). The experiments are performed by detecting a series of double PA spectra with a molecular hyperfine structure, which are induced by two PA lasers with a precise and adjustable frequency reference. We find that the LIFS of the molecular hyperfine levels shows a linear dependence on PA laser intensity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kleinert, J.; Haimberger, C.; Zabawa, P. J.

We describe the realization of a dc electric-field trap for ultracold polar molecules, the thin-wire electrostatic trap (TWIST). The thin wires that form the electrodes of the TWIST allow us to superimpose the trap onto a magneto-optical trap (MOT). In our experiment, ultracold polar NaCs molecules in their electronic ground state are created in the MOT via photoassociation, achieving a continuous accumulation in the TWIST of molecules in low-field seeking states. Initial measurements show that the TWIST trap lifetime is limited only by the background pressure in the chamber.

Work on the physics of ultracold atoms in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolachevsky, N. N.; Taichenachev, A. V.

2018-05-01

In December 2017, the regular All-Russian Conference 'Physics of Ultracold Atoms' was held. Several tens of Russian scientists from major scientific centres of the country, as well as a number of leading foreign scientists took part in the Conference. The Conference topics covered a wide range of urgent problems: quantum metrology, quantum gases, waves of matter, spectroscopy, quantum computing, and laser cooling. This issue of Quantum Electronics publishes the papers reported at the conference and selected for the Journal by the Organising committee.

Forbidden 2P–nP and 2P–nF transitions in the energy spectrum of ultracold Rydberg lithium-7 atoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zelener, B. B., E-mail: bobozel@mail.ru; Saakyan, S. A.; Sautenkov, V. A.

2016-04-15

Forbidden 2P–nP and 2P–nF transitions in the ranges of the principal quantum number n = 42–114 and n = 38–48 have been detected in the optical spectra of ultracold highly excited lithium-7 atoms. The presence of forbidden transitions is due to induced external electric fields. The quantum defects and ionization energy obtained in various experiments and predicted theoretically have been discussed.

Non-Evaporative Cooling via Inelastic Collisions in an Optical Trap

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-28

Simultaneous loading of 85 Rb and 87 Rb into an optical trap from a Magneto - optic Trap (MOT) As was mentioned in the previous section, when both...potential in an 85 Rb magneto - optical trap , Phys. Rev. A 83, 033419 (2011) I.D Ultracold plasma response to few-cycle rf pulses As will be detailed in...ultracold atoms of each isotope were cooled into overlapping Magneto - optic Traps (MOTs). From there, the atoms were then loaded into a Far-off

Neutron production during the interaction of monoenergetic electrons with a Tungsten foil in the radiotherapeutic energy range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soto-Bernal, Tzinnia Gabriela; Baltazar-Raigosa, Antonio; Medina-Castro, Diego; Vega-Carrillo, Hector Rene

2017-10-01

The electron, photon, and neutron spectra produced during the interaction between monoenergetic electron beams (8, 10, 12, 15, and 18 MeV) and a 0.05 cm-thick tungsten scattering foil were estimated using Monte Carlo method. Incoming electrons is a pencil beam that after collide with the foil acquires a broader distribution peaked in the same direction of the incoming electrons. Electron spectra show the influence of the binding energy of electrons in the tungsten shells and the increase of the electron fluence. In the interaction between the electrons in the beam and the tungsten atoms in the foil, bremsstrahlung and characteristic photons are produced. These photons are also peaked in the same direction of the incoming beam, and the electron fluence increases as the energy of the electron beam raises. The electron and photon spectra have particles whose energy is larger than the binding energy of neutron in the nucleus. Thus neutron production was noticed for 10, 12, 15, and 18 MeV electron beam. The neutron fluence becomes larger as the energy of the electron beam increases, the neutron spectra are mainly evaporation neutrons for 10 and 12 MeV, and for 15 and 18 MeV knock-on neutrons are also produced. Neutrons are produced in the foil volume having a quasi-isotropic distribution.

Stochastic analog neutron transport with TRIPOLI-4 and FREYA: Bayesian uncertainty quantification for neutron multiplicity counting

DOE PAGES

Verbeke, J. M.; Petit, O.

2016-06-01

From nuclear safeguards to homeland security applications, the need for the better modeling of nuclear interactions has grown over the past decades. Current Monte Carlo radiation transport codes compute average quantities with great accuracy and performance; however, performance and averaging come at the price of limited interaction-by-interaction modeling. These codes often lack the capability of modeling interactions exactly: for a given collision, energy is not conserved, energies of emitted particles are uncorrelated, and multiplicities of prompt fission neutrons and photons are uncorrelated. Many modern applications require more exclusive quantities than averages, such as the fluctuations in certain observables (e.g., themore » neutron multiplicity) and correlations between neutrons and photons. In an effort to meet this need, the radiation transport Monte Carlo code TRIPOLI-4® was modified to provide a specific mode that models nuclear interactions in a full analog way, replicating as much as possible the underlying physical process. Furthermore, the computational model FREYA (Fission Reaction Event Yield Algorithm) was coupled with TRIPOLI-4 to model complete fission events. As a result, FREYA automatically includes fluctuations as well as correlations resulting from conservation of energy and momentum.« less

Thermo-optical interactions in a dye-microcavity photon Bose-Einstein condensate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alaeian, Hadiseh; Schedensack, Mira; Bartels, Clara; Peterseim, Daniel; Weitz, Martin

2017-11-01

Superfluidity and Bose-Einstein condensation are usually considered as two closely related phenomena. Indeed, in most macroscopic quantum systems, like liquid helium, ultracold atomic Bose gases, and exciton-polaritons, condensation and superfluidity occur in parallel. In photon Bose-Einstein condensates realized in the dye microcavity system, thermalization does not occur by direct interaction of the condensate particles as in the above described systems, i.e. photon-photon interactions, but by absorption and re-emission processes on the dye molecules, which act as a heat reservoir. Currently, there is no experimental evidence for superfluidity in the dye microcavity system, though effective photon interactions have been observed from thermo-optic effects in the dye medium. In this work, we theoretically investigate the implications of effective thermo-optic photon interactions, a temporally delayed and spatially non-local effect, on the photon condensate, and derive the resulting Bogoliubov excitation spectrum. The calculations suggest a linear photon dispersion at low momenta, fulfilling the Landau’s criterion of superfluidity. We envision that the temporally delayed and long-range nature of the thermo-optic photon interaction offer perspectives for novel quantum fluid phenomena.

Multipulse interaction quenched ultracold few-bosonic ensembles in finite optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistakidis, Simeon; Neuhaus-Steinmetz, Jannis; Schmelcher, Peter; Theory Group of Fundamental Processes in Quantum Physics Team

2017-04-01

The correlated non-equilibrium dynamics following a multipulse interaction quench protocol in few-bosonic ensembles confined in finite optical lattices is investigated. The multipulse interaction quench gives rise to the cradle and a global breathing mode. These modes are generated during the interaction pulse and persist also after the pulse. The corresponding tunneling dynamics consists of several energy channels accompanying the dynamics. The majority of the tunneling channels persist after the pulse, while only a few occur during the pulse. The induced excitation dynamics is also explored and a strong non-linear dependence on the delayed time of the multipulse protocol is observed. Moreover, the character of the excitation dynamics is also manifested by the periodic population of higher-lying lattice momenta. The above mentioned findings pave the way for future investigations on the direct control of the excitation dynamics. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the framework of the SFB 925 ``Light induced dynamics and control of correlated quantum systems''.

Study of Neutrino-Induced Neutrons in Dark Matter Detectors for Supernova Burst Neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwan, Newton; Scholberg, Kate

2017-09-01

When supernova burst neutrinos (1-50 MeV) pass through the Earth, they occasionally interact with the passive shielding surrounding dark matter detectors. When the neutrinos interact, one or two roughly 2 MeV neutrons are scattered isotropically and uniformly, often leaving undetected. Occasionally, these neutrino-induced neutrons (NINs) interact with the detector and leave a background signal similar to a WIMP. The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of NINs on active dark matter detectors during a supernova burst.

Role of Feshbach resonances in enhancing the production of deeply bound ultracold LiRb molecules with laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gacesa, Marko; Ghosal, Subhas; Côté, Robin

2010-03-01

We investigate the possibility of forming deeply bound LiRb molecules in a two-color photoassociation experiment. Ultracold ^6Li and ^87Rb atoms colliding in the vicinity of a magnetic Feshbach resonance are photoassociated into an excited electronic state. A wavepacket is then formed by exciting a few vibrational levels of the excited state and allowed to propagate. We calculate the time-dependent overlaps between the wave packet and the lowest vibrational levels of the ground state. After the optimal overlap is obtained we use the second laser pulse to dump the wave packet and efficiently populate the deeply bound ro-vibrational levels of ^6Li^87Rb in the ground state. The resulting combination of Feshbach-optimized photoassociation (FOPA) with the time-dependent pump-dump approach will produce a large number of stable ultracold molecules in the ground state. This technique is general and applicable to other systems.

Coherent Multiple Light Scattering in Ultracold Atomic Rb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulatunga, Pasad; Sukenik, C. I.; Balik, Salim; Havey, M. D.; Kupriyanov, D. V.; Sokolov, I. M.

2003-05-01

Wave transport in mesoscopic systems can be strongly influenced by coherent multiple scattering,which can lead to novel magneto-optic, transmission, and backscattering effects of light in atomic vapors. Although related to traditional studies of radiation trapping, in ultracold vapors negligible frequency or phase redistribution takes place in the scattering, and high-order coherent light scattering occurs. Among other things, this leads to enhancement of the influence of otherwise small non-resonant terms in the scattering amplitudes. We report investigation of multiple coherent light scattering from ultracold Rb atoms confined in a magneto-optic trap (MOT). In experimental studies, measurements are made of the angular, spectral, and polarization-dependent coherent backscattering profile of a low-intensity probe beam tuned near the F = 3 - F' = 4 hyperfine transition. The influence of higher probe beam intensity is also studied. In a theoretical study of angular intensity enhancement of backscattered light, we consider scattering orders up to 10 and a realistic and asymmetric Gaussian atom distribution in the MOT. Supported by NSF, NATO, and RFBR.

Atom chip apparatus for experiments with ultracold rubidium and potassium gases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivory, M. K.; Ziltz, A. R.; Fancher, C. T.

2014-04-15

We present a dual chamber atom chip apparatus for generating ultracold {sup 87}Rb and {sup 39}K atomic gases. The apparatus produces quasi-pure Bose-Einstein condensates of 10{sup 4} {sup 87}Rb atoms in an atom chip trap that features a dimple and good optical access. We have also demonstrated production of ultracold {sup 39}K and subsequent loading into the chip trap. We describe the details of the dual chamber vacuum system, the cooling lasers, the magnetic trap, the multicoil magnetic transport system, the atom chip, and two optical dipole traps. Due in part to the use of light-induced atom desorption, the lasermore » cooling chamber features a sufficiently good vacuum to also support optical dipole trap-based experiments. The apparatus is well suited for studies of atom-surface forces, quantum pumping and transport experiments, atom interferometry, novel chip-based traps, and studies of one-dimensional many-body systems.« less

Cooling of trapped ions by resonant charge exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Sourav; Rangwala, S. A.

2018-04-01

The two most widely used ion cooling methods are laser cooling and sympathetic cooling by elastic collisions (ECs). Here, we demonstrate another method of cooling ions that is based on resonant charge exchange (RCE) between the trapped ion and the ultracold parent atom. Specifically, trapped C s+ ions are cooled by collisions with cotrapped, ultracold Cs atoms and, separately, by collisions with cotrapped, ultracold Rb atoms. We observe that the cooling of C s+ ions by Cs atoms is more efficient than the cooling of C s+ ions by Rb atoms. This signals the presence of a cooling mechanism apart from the elastic ion-atom collision channel for the Cs-C s+ case, which is cooling by RCE. The efficiency of cooling by RCE is experimentally determined and the per-collision cooling is found to be two orders of magnitude higher than cooling by EC. The result provides the experimental basis for future studies on charge transport by electron hopping in atom-ion hybrid systems.

Observation of symmetry-protected topological band with ultracold fermions

PubMed Central

Song, Bo; Zhang, Long; He, Chengdong; Poon, Ting Fung Jeffrey; Hajiyev, Elnur; Zhang, Shanchao; Liu, Xiong-Jun; Jo, Gyu-Boong

2018-01-01

Symmetry plays a fundamental role in understanding complex quantum matter, particularly in classifying topological quantum phases, which have attracted great interests in the recent decade. An outstanding example is the time-reversal invariant topological insulator, a symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phase in the symplectic class of the Altland-Zirnbauer classification. We report the observation for ultracold atoms of a noninteracting SPT band in a one-dimensional optical lattice and study quench dynamics between topologically distinct regimes. The observed SPT band can be protected by a magnetic group and a nonlocal chiral symmetry, with the band topology being measured via Bloch states at symmetric momenta. The topology also resides in far-from-equilibrium spin dynamics, which are predicted and observed in experiment to exhibit qualitatively distinct behaviors in quenching to trivial and nontrivial regimes, revealing two fundamental types of spin-relaxation dynamics related to bulk topology. This work opens the way to expanding the scope of SPT physics with ultracold atoms and studying nonequilibrium quantum dynamics in these exotic systems. PMID:29492457

Beyond BCS pairing in high-density neutron matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rios, A.; Ding, D.; Dussan, H.; Dickhoff, W. H.; Witte, S. J.; Polls, A.

2018-01-01

Pairing gaps in neutron matter need to be computed in a wide range of densities to address open questions in neutron star phenomenology. Traditionally, the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer approach has been used to compute gaps from bare nucleon-nucleon interactions. Here, we incorporate the influence of short- and long-range correlations into pairing properties. Short-range correlations are treated including the appropriate fragmentation of single-particle states, and they suppress the gaps substantially. Long-range correlations dress the pairing interaction via density and spin modes, and provide a relatively small correction. We use three different interactions as a starting point to control for any systematic effects. Results are relevant for neutron-star cooling scenarios, in particular in view of the recent observational data on Cassiopeia A.

Measuring the Neutron Cross Section and Detector Response from Interactions in Liquid Argon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamp, Nicholas; Collaboration, Captain

2017-09-01

The main objective of the CAPTAIN (Cryogenic Apparatus for Precision Tests of Argon Interactions with Neutrinos) program is to measure neutron and neutrino interactions in liquid argon. These results will be essential to the development of both short and long baseline neutrino experiments. The full CAPTAIN experiment involves a 10 ton liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) that will take runs at a low-energy ( 10-50 MeV) stopped pion neutrino source. A two ton LArTPC, MiniCAPTAIN, will serve as a prototype for the full CAPTAIN detector. MiniCAPTAIN has been deployed to take data at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center in late July. During this run, it will both test new LArTPC technologies and measure the cross section and detector response of neutron interactions in liquid argon. The results will be helpful in characterizing neutral current neutrino interactions and identifying background in future neutrino detection experiments. This poster gives an overview of these results and a status update on the CAPTAIN collaboration.

Possible Experiment for the Demonstration of Neutron Waves Interaction with Spatially Oscillating Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miloi, Mădălina Mihaela; Goryunov, Semyon; Kulin, German

2018-04-01

A wide range of problems in neutron optics is well described by a theory based on application of the effective potential model. It was assumed that the concept of the effective potential in neutron optics have a limited region of validity and ceases to be correct in the case of the giant acceleration of a matter. To test this hypothesis a new Ultra Cold neutron experiment for the observation neutron interaction with potential structure oscillating in space was proposed. The report is focused on the model calculations of the topography of sample surface that oscillate in space. These calculations are necessary to find an optimal parameters and geometry of the planned experiment.

Ultracold few fermionic atoms in needle-shaped double wells: spin chains and resonating spin clusters from microscopic Hamiltonians emulated via antiferromagnetic Heisenberg and t-J models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yannouleas, Constantine; Brandt, Benedikt B.; Landman, Uzi

2016-07-01

Advances with trapped ultracold atoms intensified interest in simulating complex physical phenomena, including quantum magnetism and transitions from itinerant to non-itinerant behavior. Here we show formation of antiferromagnetic ground states of few ultracold fermionic atoms in single and double well (DW) traps, through microscopic Hamiltonian exact diagonalization for two DW arrangements: (i) two linearly oriented one-dimensional, 1D, wells, and (ii) two coupled parallel wells, forming a trap of two-dimensional, 2D, nature. The spectra and spin-resolved conditional probabilities reveal for both cases, under strong repulsion, atomic spatial localization at extemporaneously created sites, forming quantum molecular magnetic structures with non-itinerant character. These findings usher future theoretical and experimental explorations into the highly correlated behavior of ultracold strongly repelling fermionic atoms in higher dimensions, beyond the fermionization physics that is strictly applicable only in the 1D case. The results for four atoms are well described with finite Heisenberg spin-chain and cluster models. The numerical simulations of three fermionic atoms in symmetric DWs reveal the emergent appearance of coupled resonating 2D Heisenberg clusters, whose emulation requires the use of a t-J-like model, akin to that used in investigations of high T c superconductivity. The highly entangled states discovered in the microscopic and model calculations of controllably detuned, asymmetric, DWs suggest three-cold-atom DW quantum computing qubits.

Development of neutron imaging beamline for NDT applications at Dhruva reactor, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Mayank; Roy, Tushar; Kashyap, Yogesh; Shukla, Shefali; Singh, Prashant; Ravi, Baribaddala; Patel, Tarun; Gadkari, S. C.

2018-05-01

Thermal neutron imaging techniques such as radiography or tomography are very useful tool for various scientific investigations and industrial applications. Neutron radiography is complementary to X-ray radiography, as neutrons interact with nucleus as compared to X-ray interaction with orbital electrons. We present here design and development of a neutron imaging beamline at 100 MW Dhruva research reactor for neutron imaging applications such as radiography, tomography and phase contrast imaging. Combinations of sapphire and bismuth single crystals have been used as thermal neutron filter/gamma absorber at the input of a specially designed collimator to maximize thermal neutron to gamma ratio. The maximum beam size of neutrons has been restricted to ∼120 mm diameter at the sample position. A cadmium ratio of ∼250 with L / D ratio of 160 and thermal neutron flux of ∼ 4 × 107 n/cm2 s at the sample position has been measured. In this paper, different aspects of the beamline design such as collimator, shielding, sample manipulator, digital imaging system are described. Nondestructive radiography/tomography experiments on hydrogen concentration in Zr-alloy, aluminium foam, ceramic metal seals etc. are also presented.

Neutron Measurements and the Weak Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction

PubMed Central

Snow, W. M.

2005-01-01

The weak interaction between nucleons remains one of the most poorly-understood sectors of the Standard Model. A quantitative description of this interaction is needed to understand weak interaction phenomena in atomic, nuclear, and hadronic systems. This paper summarizes briefly what is known about the weak nucleon-nucleon interaction, tries to place this phenomenon in the context of other studies of the weak and strong interactions, and outlines a set of measurements involving low energy neutrons which can lead to significant experimental progress. PMID:27308120

New limit on possible long-range parity-odd interactions of the neutron from neutron-spin rotation in liquid 4He.

PubMed

Yan, H; Snow, W M

2013-02-22

Various theories beyond the standard model predict new particles with masses in the sub-eV range with very weak couplings to ordinary matter. A parity-odd interaction between polarized nucleons and unpolarized matter proportional to g(V)g(A)s · p is one such possibility, where s[over →] and p[over →] are the spin and the momentum of the polarized nucleon, and g(V) and g(A) are the vector and axial vector couplings of an interaction induced by the exchange of a new light vector boson. We report a new experimental upper bound on such possible long-range parity-odd interactions of the neutron with nucleons and electrons from a recent search for parity violation in neutron spin rotation in liquid ^{4}He. Our constraint on the product of vector and axial vector couplings of a possible new light vector boson is g(V) g(A)(n) ≤ 10(-32) for an interaction range of 1 m. This upper bound is more than 7 orders of magnitude more stringent than the existing laboratory constraints for interaction ranges below 1 m, corresponding to a broad range of vector boson masses above 10(-6) eV. More sensitive searches for a g(V) g(A)(n) coupling could be performed using neutron spin rotation measurements in heavy nuclei or through analysis of experiments conducted to search for nucleon-nucleon weak interactions and nuclear anapole moments.

Nonadiabatic effects in ultracold molecules via anomalous linear and quadratic Zeeman shifts.

PubMed

McGuyer, B H; Osborn, C B; McDonald, M; Reinaudi, G; Skomorowski, W; Moszynski, R; Zelevinsky, T

2013-12-13

Anomalously large linear and quadratic Zeeman shifts are measured for weakly bound ultracold 88Sr2 molecules near the intercombination-line asymptote. Nonadiabatic Coriolis coupling and the nature of long-range molecular potentials explain how this effect arises and scales roughly cubically with the size of the molecule. The linear shifts yield nonadiabatic mixing angles of the molecular states. The quadratic shifts are sensitive to nearby opposite f-parity states and exhibit fourth-order corrections, providing a stringent test of a state-of-the-art ab initio model.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kleinert, J.; Haimberger, C.; Zabawa, P. J.

We present a detailed description on how to build a thin wire electrostatic trap (TWIST) for ultracold polar molecules. It is the first design of an electrostatic trap that can be superimposed directly onto a magneto-optical trap (MOT). We can thus continuously produce ultracold polar molecules via photoassociation from a two species MOT and instantaneously trap them in the TWIST without the need for complex transfer schemes. Despite the spatial overlap of the TWIST and the MOT, the two traps can be operated and optimized completely independently due to the complementary nature of the utilized trapping mechanisms.

Informal Conference on Photochemistry (15th) Held at Stanford, California on 27 June-1 July 1982

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

C-2 Photofragment Spectroscopy of Ultracold NO2 at 355nm: Internal Energy Distributions of NO A. P. Daronavski, Benjamin H . DeKoven, and H .’ Helvajian ...of C3 With Selected Olefins Over the Temperature Range 300-650 K H . Helvajian , H . H . Nelson, L. Pasternack and J. R. McDonald 11:45 H -5 Abstraction vs...of Ultracold N02 at 355nm: Internal Energy Distributions of NO A. P. Baronavski, Benjamin M. DeKovenu and H . Helvajian * Chemistry Division, Naval

Ultracold collisions between spin-orbit-coupled dipoles: General formalism and universality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jia; Hougaard, Christiaan R.; Mulkerin, Brendan C.; Liu, Xia-Ji

2018-04-01

A theoretical study of the low-energy scattering properties of two aligned identical bosonic and fermionic dipoles in the presence of isotropic spin-orbit coupling is presented. A general treatment of particles with arbitrary (pseudo)spin is given in the framework of multichannel scattering. At ultracold temperatures and away from shape resonances or closed-channel dominated resonances, the cross section can be well described within the Born approximation to within corrections due to the s -wave scattering. We compare our findings with numerical calculations and find excellent agreement.

Superfluidity and BCS-BEC crossover of ultracold atomic Fermi gases in mixed dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Leifeng; Chen, Qijin

Atomic Fermi gases have been under active investigation in the past decade. Here we study the superfluid and pairing phenomena of a two-component ultracold atomic Fermi gas in the presence of mixed dimensionality, in which one component is confined on a 1D optical lattice whereas the other is free in the 3D continuum. We assume a short-range pairing interaction and determine the superfluid transition temperature Tc and the phase diagram for the entire BCS-BEC crossover, using a pairing fluctuation theory which includes self-consistently the contributions of finite momentum pairs. We find that, as the lattice depth increases and the lattice spacing decreases, the behavior of Tc becomes very similar to that of a population imbalance Fermi gas in a simple 3D continuum. There is no superfluidity even at T = 0 below certain threshold of pairing strength in the BCS regime. Nonmonotonic Tc behavior and intermediate temperature superfluidity emerge, and for deep enough lattice, the Tc curve will split into two parts. Implications for experiment will be discussed. References: 1. Q.J. Chen, Ioan Kosztin, B. Janko, and K. Levin, Phys. Rev. B 59, 7083 (1999). 2. Chih-Chun Chien, Qijin Chen, Yan He, and K. Levin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 090402(2006). Work supported by NSF of China and the National Basic Research Program of China.

Various topological Mott insulators and topological bulk charge pumping in strongly-interacting boson system in one-dimensional superlattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuno, Yoshihito; Shimizu, Keita; Ichinose, Ikuo

2017-12-01

In this paper, we study a one-dimensional boson system in a superlattice potential. This system is experimentally feasible by using ultracold atomic gases, and attracts much attention these days. It is expected that the system has a topological phase called a topological Mott insulator (TMI). We show that in strongly-interacting cases, the competition between the superlattice potential and the on-site interaction leads to various TMIs with a non-vanishing integer Chern number. Compared to the hard-core case, the soft-core boson system exhibits rich phase diagrams including various non-trivial TMIs. By using the exact diagonalization, we obtain detailed bulk-global phase diagrams including the TMIs with high Chern numbers and also various non-topological phases. We also show that in adiabatic experimental setups, the strongly-interacting bosonic TMIs exhibit the topological particle transfer, i.e., the topological charge pumping phenomenon, similarly to weakly-interacting systems. The various TMIs are characterized by topological charge pumping as it is closely related to the Chern number, and therefore the Chern number is to be observed in feasible experiments.

Repulsive atomic gas in a harmonic trap on the border of itinerant ferromagnetism.

PubMed

Conduit, G J; Simons, B D

2009-11-13

Alongside superfluidity, itinerant (Stoner) ferromagnetism remains one of the most well-characterized phases of correlated Fermi systems. A recent experiment has reported the first evidence for novel phase behavior on the repulsive side of the Feshbach resonance in a two-component ultracold Fermi gas. By adapting recent theoretical studies to the atomic trap geometry, we show that an adiabatic ferromagnetic transition would take place at a weaker interaction strength than is observed in experiment. This discrepancy motivates a simple nonequilibrium theory that takes account of the dynamics of magnetic defects and three-body losses. The formalism developed displays good quantitative agreement with experiment.

Quantum localization and bound-state formation in Bose-Einstein condensates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Franzosi, Roberto; Giampaolo, Salvatore M.; Illuminati, Fabrizio

2010-12-15

We discuss the possibility of exponential quantum localization in systems of ultracold bosonic atoms with repulsive interactions in open optical lattices without disorder. We show that exponential localization occurs in the maximally excited state of the lowest energy band. We establish the conditions under which the presence of the upper energy bands can be neglected, determine the successive stages and the quantum phase boundaries at which localization occurs, and discuss schemes to detect it experimentally by visibility measurements. The discussed mechanism is a particular type of quantum localization that is intuitively understood in terms of the interplay between nonlinearity andmore » a bounded energy spectrum.« less

Critical exponents of the disorder-driven superfluid-insulator transition in one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cestari, J. C. C.; Foerster, A.; Gusmao, M. A.

2011-11-15

We investigate the nature of the superfluid-insulator quantum phase transition driven by disorder for noninteracting ultracold atoms on one-dimensional lattices. We consider two different cases: Anderson-type disorder, with local energies randomly distributed, and pseudodisorder due to a potential incommensurate with the lattice, which is usually called the Aubry-Andre model. A scaling analysis of numerical data for the superfluid fraction for different lattice sizes allows us to determine quantum critical exponents characterizing the disorder-driven superfluid-insulator transition. We also briefly discuss the effect of interactions close to the noninteracting quantum critical point of the Aubry-Andre model.

Proton - Neutron Interactions and The New Atomic Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cakirli, R. B.; Casten, R. F.; Brenner, D. S.; Millman, E. A.

2005-04-01

Proton - neutron interactions determine structural evolution with N and Z including the onset of collectivity, deformation, and phase transitions. We have extracted the interaction of the last proton and the last neutron, called δVpn, from a specific double difference of binding energies using the new mass tabulation [1]. Striking variations are seen near closed shells. In the Pb region, these are interpreted using overlaps of shell model orbits, which are large when both protons and neutrons are in similar orbits, and small when they are not. Further, we used the idea that shell filling follows a typical systematic pattern to look at the correlation of δVpn values to the fractions of the proton and neutron shells that are filled. These results provide useful signatures of structure in exotic nuclei.This work was supported by US DOE Grant Nos. DE-FG02-91ER40609 and DE-FG02-88ER-40417. [1] G. Audi, A.H. Wapstra and C. Thibault, Nucl. Phys.A729, 337 (2003).

Polarized deep inelastic scattering off the neutron from gauge/string duality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao Jianhua; Mou Zonggang; Department of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100

2010-05-01

We investigate deep inelastic scattering off the polarized 'neutron' using gauge/string duality. The 'neutron' corresponds to a supergravity mode of the neutral dilatino. Through introducing the Pauli interaction term into the action in AdS{sub 5} space, we calculate the polarized deep inelastic structure functions of the 'neutron' in supergravity approximation at large t' Hooft coupling {lambda} and finite x with {lambda}{sup -1/2}<

Slotted rotatable target assembly and systematic error analysis for a search for long range spin dependent interactions from exotic vector boson exchange using neutron spin rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddock, C.; Crawford, B.; Fox, W.; Francis, I.; Holley, A.; Magers, S.; Sarsour, M.; Snow, W. M.; Vanderwerp, J.

2018-03-01

We discuss the design and construction of a novel target array of nonmagnetic test masses used in a neutron polarimetry measurement made in search for new possible exotic spin dependent neutron-atominteractions of Nature at sub-mm length scales. This target was designed to accept and efficiently transmit a transversely polarized slow neutron beam through a series of long open parallel slots bounded by flat rectangular plates. These openings possessed equal atom density gradients normal to the slots from the flat test masses with dimensions optimized to achieve maximum sensitivity to an exotic spin-dependent interaction from vector boson exchanges with ranges in the mm - μm regime. The parallel slots were oriented differently in four quadrants that can be rotated about the neutron beam axis in discrete 90°increments using a Geneva drive. The spin rotation signals from the 4 quadrants were measured using a segmented neutron ion chamber to suppress possible systematic errors from stray magnetic fields in the target region. We discuss the per-neutron sensitivity of the target to the exotic interaction, the design constraints, the potential sources of systematic errors which could be present in this design, and our estimate of the achievable sensitivity using this method.

Topological phase transition in the quench dynamics of a one-dimensional Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pei; Yi, Wei; Xianlong, Gao

2015-01-01

We study the quench dynamics of a one-dimensional ultracold Fermi gas with synthetic spin-orbit coupling. At equilibrium, the ground state of the system can undergo a topological phase transition and become a topological superfluid with Majorana edge states. As the interaction is quenched near the topological phase boundary, we identify an interesting dynamical phase transition of the quenched state in the long-time limit, characterized by an abrupt change of the pairing gap at a critical quenched interaction strength. We further demonstrate the topological nature of this dynamical phase transition from edge-state analysis of the quenched states. Our findings provide interesting clues for the understanding of topological phase transitions in dynamical processes, and can be useful for the dynamical detection of Majorana edge states in corresponding systems.

Coherent Control of Ground State NaK Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zoe; Park, Jee Woo; Loh, Huanqian; Will, Sebastian; Zwierlein, Martin

2016-05-01

Ultracold dipolar molecules exhibit anisotropic, tunable, long-range interactions, making them attractive for the study of novel states of matter and quantum information processing. We demonstrate the creation and control of 23 Na40 K molecules in their rovibronic and hyperfine ground state. By applying microwaves, we drive coherent Rabi oscillations of spin-polarized molecules between the rotational ground state (J=0) and J=1. The control afforded by microwave manipulation allows us to pursue engineered dipolar interactions via microwave dressing. By driving a two-photon transition, we are also able to observe Ramsey fringes between different J=0 hyperfine states, with coherence times as long as 0.5s. The realization of long coherence times between different molecular states is crucial for applications in quantum information processing. NSF, AFOSR- MURI, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, DARPA-OLE

New contributions to physics by Prof. C. N. Yang: 2009-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhong-Qi

2016-01-01

In a seminal paper of 1967, Professor Chen Ning Yang found the full solution of the one-dimensional Fermi gas with a repulsive delta function interaction by using the Bethe ansatz and group theory. This work with a brilliant discovery of the Yang-Baxter equation has been inspiring new developments in mathematical physics, statistical physics, and many-body physics. Based on experimental developments in simulating many-body physics of one-dimensional systems of ultracold atoms, during a period from 2009 to 2011, Prof. Yang published seven papers on the exact properties of the ground state of bosonic and fermionic atoms with the repulsive delta function interaction and a confined potential to one dimension. Here I would like to share my experience in doing research work fortunately under the direct supervision of Prof. Yang in that period.

New Contributions to Physics by Prof. C. N. Yang: 2009-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhong-Qi

In a seminal paper of 1967, Professor Chen Ning Yang found the full solution of the one-dimensional Fermi gas with a repulsive delta function interaction by using the Bethe ansatz and group theory. This work with a brilliant discovery of the Yang-Baxter equation has been inspiring new developments in mathematical physics, statistical physics, and many-body physics. Based on experimental developments in simulating many-body physics of one-dimensional systems of ultracold atoms, during a period from 2009 to 2011, Prof. Yang published seven papers on the exact properties of the ground state of bosonic and fermionic atoms with the repulsive delta function interaction and a confined potential to one dimension. Here I would like to share my experience in doing research work fortunately under the direct supervision of Prof. Yang in that period.

Simulation of Laser Cooling and Trapping in Engineering Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez-Serrano, Jaime; Kohel, James; Thompson, Robert; Yu, Nan; Lunblad, Nathan

2005-01-01

An advanced computer code is undergoing development for numerically simulating laser cooling and trapping of large numbers of atoms. The code is expected to be useful in practical engineering applications and to contribute to understanding of the roles that light, atomic collisions, background pressure, and numbers of particles play in experiments using laser-cooled and -trapped atoms. The code is based on semiclassical theories of the forces exerted on atoms by magnetic and optical fields. Whereas computer codes developed previously for the same purpose account for only a few physical mechanisms, this code incorporates many more physical mechanisms (including atomic collisions, sub-Doppler cooling mechanisms, Stark and Zeeman energy shifts, gravitation, and evanescent-wave phenomena) that affect laser-matter interactions and the cooling of atoms to submillikelvin temperatures. Moreover, whereas the prior codes can simulate the interactions of at most a few atoms with a resonant light field, the number of atoms that can be included in a simulation by the present code is limited only by computer memory. Hence, the present code represents more nearly completely the complex physics involved when using laser-cooled and -trapped atoms in engineering applications. Another advantage that the code incorporates is the possibility to analyze the interaction between cold atoms of different atomic number. Some properties that cold atoms of different atomic species have, like cross sections and the particular excited states they can occupy when interacting with each other and light fields, play important roles not yet completely understood in the new experiments that are under way in laboratories worldwide to form ultracold molecules. Other research efforts use cold atoms as holders of quantum information, and more recent developments in cavity quantum electrodynamics also use ultracold atoms to explore and expand new information-technology ideas. These experiments give a hint on the wide range of applications and technology developments that can be tackled using cold atoms and light fields. From more precise atomic clocks and gravity sensors to the development of quantum computers, there will be a need to completely understand the whole ensemble of physical mechanisms that play a role in the development of such technologies. The code also permits the study of the dynamic and steady-state operations of technologies that use cold atoms. The physical characteristics of lasers and fields can be time-controlled to give a realistic simulation of the processes involved such that the design process can determine the best control features to use. It is expected that with the features incorporated into the code it will become a tool for the useful application of ultracold atoms in engineering applications. Currently, the software is being used for the analysis and understanding of simple experiments using cold atoms, and for the design of a modular compact source of cold atoms to be used in future research and development projects. The results so far indicate that the code is a useful design instrument that shows good agreement with experimental measurements (see figure), and a Windows-based user-friendly interface is also under development.

Polymeric Materials With Additives for Durability and Radiation Shielding in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiefer, Richard

2011-01-01

Polymeric materials are attractive for use in space structures because of their light weight and high strength In addition, polymers are made of elements with low atomic numbers (Z), primarily carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (0), and nitrogen (N) which provide the best shielding from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) (ref. 1). Galactic cosmic rays are composed primarily of nuclei (i.e., fully ionized atoms) plus a contribution of about 2% from electrons and positrons. There is a small but significant component of GCR particles with high charge (Z > 10) and high energy (E >100 GeV) (ref. 2). These so-called HZE particles comprise only 1 to 2% of the cosmic ray fluence but they interact with very high specific ionization and contribute 50% of the long- term dose to humans. The best shield for this radiation would be liquid hydrogen, which is not feasible. For this reason, hydrogen-containing polymers make the most effective practical shields. Moreover, neutrons are formed in the interactions of GCR particles with materials. Neutrons can only lose energy by collisions or reactions with a nucleus since they are uncharged. This is a process that is much less probable than the Coulombic interactions of charged particles. Thus, neutrons migrate far from the site of the reaction in which they were formed. This increases the probability of neutrons reaching humans or electronic equipment. Fast neutrons (> 1 MeV) can interact with silicon chips in electronic equipment resulting in the production of recoil ions which can cause single event upsets (SEU) in sensitive components (ref. 3). Neutrons lose energy most effectively by elastic collisions with light atoms, particularly hydrogen atoms. Therefore, hydrogen-containing polymers are not only effective in interacting with GCR particles; they are also effective in reducing the energy of the neutrons formed in the interactions.

Multi-layer plastic scintillation detector for intermediate- and high-energy neutrons with n- γ discrimination capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, L.; Terashima, S.; Ong, H. J.; Chan, P. Y.; Tanihata, I.; Iwamoto, C.; Tran, D. T.; Tamii, A.; Aoi, N.; Fujioka, H.; Gey, G.; Sakaguchi, H.; Sakaue, A.; Sun, B. H.; Tang, T. L.; Wang, T. F.; Watanabe, Y. N.; Zhang, G. X.

2017-09-01

A new type of neutron detector, named Stack Structure Solid organic Scintillator (S4), consisting of multi-layer plastic scintillators with capability to suppress low-energy γ rays under high-counting rate has been constructed and tested. To achieve n- γ discrimination, we exploit the difference in the ranges of the secondary charged particles produced by the interactions of neutrons and γ rays in the scintillator material. The thickness of a plastic scintillator layer was determined based on the results of Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 toolkit. With layer thicknesses of 5 mm, we have achieved a good separation between neutrons and γ rays at 5 MeVee threshold setting. We have also determined the detection efficiencies using monoenergetic neutrons at two energies produced by the d + d → n+3He reaction. The results agree well with the Geant4 simulations implementing the Li e ̀ge Intranuclear Cascade hadronic model (INCL++) and the high-precision model of low-energy neutron interactions (NeutronHP).

Measurements of soil carbon by neutron-gamma analysis in static and scanning modes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The herein described application of the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) method for soil carbon analysis is based on the registration and analysis of gamma rays created when neutrons interact with soil elements. The main parts of the INS system are a pulsed neutron generator, NaI(Tl) gamma detecto...

Laser-based fast-neutron spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomerantz, Ishay; Kishon, Itay; Kleinschmidt, Annika; Schanz, Victor A.; Tebartz, Alexandra; Fernández, Juan Carlos; Gautier, Donald C.; Johnson, Randall Philip; Shimada, Tsutomu; Wurden, Glen Anthony; Roth, Markus

2017-05-01

Great progress has been made in recent years in realizing compact, laser-based neutron generators. These devices, however, are inapplicable for conducting energy-resolved fast-neutron radiography because of the electromagnetic noise produced by the interaction of a strong laser field with matter. To overcome this limitation, we developed a novel neutron time-of-flight detector, largely immune to electromagnetic noise. The detector is based on plastic scintillator, only a few mm in size, which is coupled to a silicon photo-multiplier by a long optical fiber. I will present results we obtained at the Trident Laser Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory during the summer of 2016. Using this detector, we recorded high resolution, low-background fast neutron spectra generated by the interaction of laser accelerated deuterons with Beryllium. The quality of these spectra was sufficient to resolve the unique neutron absorption spectra of different elements and thus it is the first demonstration of laser-based fast neutron spectroscopy. I will discuss how this achievement paves the way to realizing compact neutron radiography systems for research, security, and commercial applications.

The EURITRACK project: development of a tagged neutron inspection system for cargo containers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perot, Bertrand; Perret, Gregory; Mariani, Alain; Ma, Jean-Luc; Szabo, Jean-Louis; Mercier, Emmanuel; Sannie, Guillaume; Viesti, Giuseppe; Nebbia, Giancarlo; Pesente, Silvia; Lunardon, Marcello; Formisano, Paola; Moretto, Sandra; Fabris, Daniela; Zenoni, Aldo; Bonomi, Germano; Donzella, Antonietta; Fontana, Andrea; Boghen, Gaia; Valkovic, Vladivoj; Sudac, Darovin; Moszynski, Marek; Batsch, Tadeusz; Gierlik, Michal; Wolski, Dariusz; Klamra, Wlodzimierz; Isaksson, Patrick; Le Tourneur, Philippe; Lhuissier, Miguel; Colonna, Annamaria; Tintori, Carlo; Peerani, Paolo; Sequeira, Vitor; Salvato, Martino

2006-05-01

The EURopean Illicit TRAfficing Countermeasures Kit project is part of the 6th European Union Framework Program, and aims at developing a neutron inspection system for detecting threat materials (explosives, drugs, etc.) in cargo containers. Neutron interaction in the container produces specific gamma-rays used to determine the chemical composition of the inspected material. An associated particle sealed tube neutron generator is developed to allow precise location of the interaction point by direction and time-of-flight measurements of the neutrons tagged by alpha-particles. The EURITRACK project consists in developing: a transportable deuterium-tritium neutron generator including a position sensitive alpha detector (8×8 matrix of YAP:Ce crystals coupled to a multi-anode photomultiplier), fast neutron and gamma-ray detectors, front-end electronics to perform coincidence and spectroscopic measurements, and an integrated software which manages neutron generator and detectors positioning, data acquisition and analysis. Hardware components have been developed and tested by the consortium partners. Current status of this work and provisional performances of the system assessed by Monte Carlo calculations are presented.

On the energy spectrum of cosmogenic neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malgin, A. S.

2017-11-01

The processes of the generation of cosmogenic neutrons (cg-neutrons) underground are considered. The neutrons produced by cosmic-ray muons in their interactions with matter are called cosmogenic. Deep-inelastic π A-collisions of pions in muon-induced hadronic showers are mainly their source at energies above 30 MeV. The characteristics of the energy spectrum for the generation of cg-neutrons have been determined by invoking the additive quark model of deep-inelastic soft processes and the mechanism for the interactions of high-energy nucleons in a nucleus. The three-component shape of the spectrum is explained, and the energy of the "knee" in the spectrum has been found to depend on the mass number A. The peculiarities of deep-inelastic π A-scattering lead to the conclusion that the spectrum of cg-neutrons steepens sharply at energies above 1 GeV. The calculated quantitative characteristics of the spectrum are compared with those obtained in measurements.

Pairing in exotic neutron-rich nuclei near the drip line and in the crust of neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastore, A.; Margueron, J.; Schuck, P.; Viñas, X.

2013-09-01

Exotic and drip-line nuclei as well as nuclei immersed in a low-density gas of neutrons in the inner crust of neutron stars are systematically investigated with respect to their neutron pairing properties. This is done using Skyrme density-functional and different pairing forces such as a density-dependent contact interaction and a separable form of a finite-range Gogny interaction. Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theories are compared. It is found that neutron pairing is reduced towards the drip line while overcast by strong shell effects. Furthermore, resonances in the continuum can have an important effect counterbalancing the tendency of reduction and leading to a persistence of pairing at the drip line. It is also shown that in these systems the difference between HFB and BCS approaches can be quantitatively large.

A calibration method for realistic neutron dosimetry in radiobiological experiments assisted by MCNP simulation.

PubMed

Shahmohammadi Beni, Mehrdad; Krstic, Dragana; Nikezic, Dragoslav; Yu, Kwan Ngok

2016-09-01

Many studies on biological effects of neutrons involve dose responses of neutrons, which rely on accurately determined absorbed doses in the irradiated cells or living organisms. Absorbed doses are difficult to measure, and are commonly surrogated with doses measured using separate detectors. The present work describes the determination of doses absorbed in the cell layer underneath a medium column (D A ) and the doses absorbed in an ionization chamber (D E ) from neutrons through computer simulations using the MCNP-5 code, and the subsequent determination of the conversion coefficients R (= D A /D E ). It was found that R in general decreased with increase in the medium thickness, which was due to elastic and inelastic scattering. For 2-MeV neutrons, conspicuous bulges in R values were observed at medium thicknesses of about 500, 1500, 2500 and 4000 μm, and these were attributed to carbon, oxygen and nitrogen nuclei, and were reflections of spikes in neutron interaction cross sections with these nuclei. For 0.1-MeV neutrons, no conspicuous bulges in R were observed (except one at ~2000 μm that was due to photon interactions), which was explained by the absence of prominent spikes in the interaction cross-sections with these nuclei for neutron energies <0.1 MeV. The ratio R could be increased by ~50% for small medium thickness if the incident neutron energy was reduced from 2 MeV to 0.1 MeV. As such, the absorbed doses in cells (D A ) would vary with the incident neutron energies, even when the absorbed doses shown on the detector were the same. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

A calibration method for realistic neutron dosimetry in radiobiological experiments assisted by MCNP simulation

PubMed Central

Shahmohammadi Beni, Mehrdad; Krstic, Dragana; Nikezic, Dragoslav; Yu, Kwan Ngok

2016-01-01

Many studies on biological effects of neutrons involve dose responses of neutrons, which rely on accurately determined absorbed doses in the irradiated cells or living organisms. Absorbed doses are difficult to measure, and are commonly surrogated with doses measured using separate detectors. The present work describes the determination of doses absorbed in the cell layer underneath a medium column (DA) and the doses absorbed in an ionization chamber (DE) from neutrons through computer simulations using the MCNP-5 code, and the subsequent determination of the conversion coefficients R (= DA/DE). It was found that R in general decreased with increase in the medium thickness, which was due to elastic and inelastic scattering. For 2-MeV neutrons, conspicuous bulges in R values were observed at medium thicknesses of about 500, 1500, 2500 and 4000 μm, and these were attributed to carbon, oxygen and nitrogen nuclei, and were reflections of spikes in neutron interaction cross sections with these nuclei. For 0.1-MeV neutrons, no conspicuous bulges in R were observed (except one at ~2000 μm that was due to photon interactions), which was explained by the absence of prominent spikes in the interaction cross-sections with these nuclei for neutron energies <0.1 MeV. The ratio R could be increased by ~50% for small medium thickness if the incident neutron energy was reduced from 2 MeV to 0.1 MeV. As such, the absorbed doses in cells (DA) would vary with the incident neutron energies, even when the absorbed doses shown on the detector were the same. PMID:27380801

The electron-spin--nuclear-spin interaction studied by polarized neutron scattering.

PubMed

Stuhrmann, Heinrich B

2007-11-01

Dynamic nuclear spin polarization (DNP) is mediated by the dipolar interaction of paramagnetic centres with nuclear spins. This process is most likely to occur near paramagnetic centres at an angle close to 45 degrees with respect to the direction of the external magnetic field. The resulting distribution of polarized nuclear spins leads to an anisotropy of the polarized neutron scattering pattern, even with randomly oriented radical molecules. The corresponding cross section of polarized coherent neutron scattering in terms of a multipole expansion is derived for radical molecules in solution. An application using data of time-resolved polarized neutron scattering from an organic chromium(V) molecule is tested.

Few-Nucleon Research at TUNL: Probing Two- and Three-Nucleon Interactions with Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, C. R.; Tornow, W.; Witała, H.

2016-03-01

The central goal of few-nucleon research at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) is to perform measurements that contribute to advancing ab-initio calculations of nuclear structure and reactions. The program aims include evaluating theoretical treatments of few-nucleon reaction dynamics through strategically comparing theory predictions to data, determining properties of the neutron-neutron interaction that are not accessible in two-nucleon reactions, and searching for evidence of longrange features of three-nucleon interactions, e.g., spin and isospin dependence. This paper will review studies of three- and four-nucleon systems at TUNL conducted using unpolarized and polarized neutron beams. Measurements of neutron-induced reactions performed by groups at TUNL over the last six years are described in comparison with theory predictions. The results are discussed in the context of the program goals stated above. Measurements of vector analyzing powers for elastic scattering in A=3 and A=4 systems, differential cross sections for neutron-deuteron elastic scattering and neutrondeuteron breakup in several final-state configurations are described. The findings from these studies and plans for the coming three years are presented in the context of worldwide activities in this front, in particular, research presented in this session.

The Mini-CAPTAIN Neutron Run and Future CAPTAIN Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Robert; CAPTAIN Collaboration

2016-09-01

The Cryogenic Apparatus for Precision Tests of Argon Interaction with Neutrinos (CAPTAIN) is an experimental program to measure critical neutrino interaction cross sections in argon for the DUNE long-baseline program. These cross sections are important for understanding and improving the energy resolution of measurements for neutrino oscillations and supernova detection in argon. The full CAPTAIN detector is a 5-ton fiducial volume liquid argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) with an independently triggered photon detection system (PDS) for fast-timing capabilities on accelerators. To test the full CAPTAIN concept, the 1-ton fiducial volume mini-CAPTAIN detector has been deployed. Mini-CAPTAIN is another LAr TPC with PDS. It was recently deployed to the Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory to measure high-energy neutron interactions in argon. The WNR is a pulsed accelerator capable of delivering neutrons up to 800 MeV in energy. In this talk, I will report on the analysis of the first time-of-flight tagged, high-energy neutron response in liquid argon from our February 2016 run. I will also highlight a second neutron run at the WNR scheduled for Summer 2017 and discuss the implications these data have on the future CAPTAIN program.

Secondary neutron-production cross sections from heavy-ion interactions in composite targets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heilbronn, L.; Iwata, Y.; Murakami, T.

Secondary neutron-production cross sections have been measured from interactions of 290 MeV/nucleon C and 600 MeV/nucleon Ne in a target composed of simulated Martian regolith and polyethylene, and from 400 MeV/nucleon Ne interactions in wall material from the International Space Station. The data were measured between 5 deg. and 80 deg. in the laboratory. We report the double-differential cross sections, angular distributions, and total neutron-production cross sections from all three systems. The spectra from all three systems exhibit behavior previously reported in other heavy-ion neutron-production experiments, namely, a peak at forward angles near the energy corresponding to the beam velocity,more » with the remaining spectra generated by pre-equilibrium and equilibrium processes. The double-differential cross sections are fitted with a moving-source parametrization. Also reported are the data without corrections for neutron flux attenuation in the target and other intervening materials and for neutron production in nontarget materials near the target position. These uncorrected spectra are compared with SHIELD-HIT and PHITS transport model calculations. The transport model calculations reproduce the spectral shapes well but, on average, underestimate the magnitudes of the cross sections.« less

A method to measure neutron polarization using P-even asymmetry of {gamma}-quantum emission in the neutron-nuclear interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gledenov, Yu. M.; Nesvizhevsky, V. V.; Sedyshev, P. V.

2012-07-15

A new method to measure polarization of cold/thermal neutrons using P-even asymmetry in nuclear reactions induced by polarized neutrons is proposed. A scheme profiting from a large correlation of the neutron spin and the circular {gamma}-quantum polarization in the reaction (n, {gamma}) of polarized neutrons with nuclei is analyzed. This method could be used, for instance, to measure the neutron-beam polarization in experiments with frequently varying configuration. We show that high accuracy and reliability of measurements could be expected.

Photodissociation of quantum state-selected diatomic molecules yields new insight into ultracold chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Mickey; McGuyer, Bart H.; Lee, Chih-Hsi; Apfelbeck, Florian; Zelevinsky, Tanya

2016-05-01

When a molecule is subjected to a sufficiently energetic photon it can break apart into fragments through a process called ``photodissociation''. For over 70 years this simple chemical reaction has served as a vital experimental tool for acquiring information about molecular structure, since the character of the photodissociative transition can be inferred by measuring the 3D photofragment angular distribution (PAD). While theoretical understanding of this process has gradually evolved from classical considerations to a fully quantum approach, experiments to date have not yet revealed the full quantum nature of this process. In my talk I will describe recent experiments involving the photodissociation of ultracold, optical lattice-trapped, and fully quantum state-resolved 88Sr2 molecules. Optical absorption images of the PADs produced in these experiments reveal features which are inherently quantum mechanical in nature, such as matter-wave interference between output channels, and are sensitive to the quantum statistics of the molecular wavefunctions. The results of these experiments cannot be predicted using quasiclassical methods. Instead, we describe our results with a fully quantum mechanical model yielding new intuition about ultracold chemistry.

High precision optical spectroscopy and quantum state selected photodissociation of ultracold 88Sr2 molecules in an optical lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Mickey

2017-04-01

Over the past several decades, rapid progress has been made toward the accurate characterization and control of atoms, epitomized by the ever-increasing accuracy and precision of optical atomic lattice clocks. Extending this progress to molecules will have exciting implications for chemistry, condensed matter physics, and precision tests of physics beyond the Standard Model. My thesis describes work performed over the past six years to establish the state of the art in manipulation and quantum control of ultracold molecules. We describe a thorough set of measurements characterizing the rovibrational structure of weakly bound 88Sr2 molecules from several different perspectives, including determinations of binding energies; linear, quadratic, and higher order Zeeman shifts; transition strengths between bound states; and lifetimes of narrow subradiant states. Finally, we discuss measurements of photofragment angular distributions produced by photodissociation of molecules in single quantum states, leading to an exploration of quantum-state-resolved ultracold chemistry. The images of exploding photofragments produced in these studies exhibit dramatic interference effects and strongly violate semiclassical predictions, instead requiring a fully quantum mechanical description.

Geometric phase effects in ultracold chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazra, Jisha; Naduvalath, Balakrishnan; Kendrick, Brian K.

2016-05-01

In molecules, the geometric phase, also known as Berry's phase, originates from the adiabatic transport of the electronic wavefunction when the nuclei follow a closed path encircling a conical intersection between two electronic potential energy surfaces. It is demonstrated that the inclusion of the geometric phase has an important effect on ultracold chemical reaction rates. The effect appears in rotationally and vibrationally resolved integral cross sections as well as cross sections summed over all product quantum states. It arises from interference between scattering amplitudes of two reaction pathways: a direct path and a looping path that encircle the conical intersection between the two lowest adiabatic electronic potential energy surfaces. Illustrative results are presented for the O+ OH --> H+ O2 reaction and for hydrogen exchange in H+ H2 and D+HD reactions. It is also qualitatively demonstrated that the geometric phase effect can be modulated by applying an external electric field allowing the possibility of quantum control of chemical reactions in the ultracold regime. This work was supported in part by NSF Grant PHY-1505557 (N.B.) and ARO MURI Grant No. W911NF-12-1-0476 (N.B.).

Computational Modeling of Low-Density Ultracold Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witte, Craig

In this dissertation I describe a number of different computational investigations which I have undertaken during my time at Colorado State University. Perhaps the most significant of my accomplishments was the development of a general molecular dynamic model that simulates a wide variety of physical phenomena in ultracold plasmas (UCPs). This model formed the basis of most of the numerical investigations discussed in this thesis. The model utilized the massively parallel architecture of GPUs to achieve significant computing speed increases (up to 2 orders of magnitude) above traditional single core computing. This increased computing power allowed for each particle in an actual UCP experimental system to be explicitly modeled in simulations. By using this model, I was able to undertake a number of theoretical investigations into ultracold plasma systems. Chief among these was our lab's investigation of electron center-of-mass damping, in which the molecular dynamics model was an essential tool in interpreting the results of the experiment. Originally, it was assumed that this damping would solely be a function of electron-ion collisions. However, the model was able to identify an additional collisionless damping mechanism that was determined to be significant in the first iteration of our experiment. To mitigate this collisionless damping, the model was used to find a new parameter range where this mechanism was negligible. In this new parameter range, the model was an integral part in verifying the achievement of a record low measured UCP electron temperature of 1.57 +/- 0.28K and a record high electron strong coupling parameter, Gamma, of 0.35 +/-0.08$. Additionally, the model, along with experimental measurements, was used to verify the breakdown of the standard weak coupling approximation for Coulomb collisions. The general molecular dynamics model was also used in other contexts. These included the modeling of both the formation process of ultracold plasmas and the thermalization of the electron component of an ultracold plasma. Our modeling of UCP formation is still in its infancy, and there is still much outstanding work. However, we have already discovered a previously unreported electron heating mechanism that arises from an external electric field being applied during UCP formation. Thermalization modeling showed that the ion density distribution plays a role in the thermalization of electrons in ultracold plasma, a consideration not typically included in plasma modeling. A Gaussian ion density distribution was shown to lead to a slightly faster electron thermalization rate than an equivalent uniform ion density distribution as a result of collisionless effects. Three distinct phases of UCP electron thermalization during formation were identified. Finally, the dissertation will describe additional computational investigations that preceded the general molecular dynamics model. These include simulations of ultracold plasma ion expansion driven by non-neutrality, as well as an investigation into electron evaporation. To test the effects of non-neutrality on ion expansion, a numerical model was developed that used the King model of the electron to describe the electron distribution for an arbitrary charge imbalance. The model found that increased non-neutrality of the plasma led to the rapid expansion of ions on the plasma exterior, which in turn led to a sharp ion cliff-like spatial structure. Additionally, this rapid expansion led to additional cooling of the electron component of the plasma. The evaporation modeling was used to test the underlying assumptions of previously developed analytical expression for charged particle evaporation. The model used Monte Carlo techniques to simulate the collisions and the evaporation process. The model found that neither of the underlying assumption of the charged particle evaporation expressions held true for typical ultracold plasma parameters and provides a route for computations in spite of the breakdown of these two typical assumptions.

Background and Source Term Identification in Active Neutron Interrogation Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-24

interactions occurred to observe gamma ray peaks and not unduly increase simulation time. Not knowing the uranium enrichment modeled by Gozani, pure U...neutron interactions can occur. The uranium targets, though, should have increased neutron fluencies as the energy levels become below 2 MeV. This is...Assessment Monitor Site (TEAMS) at Kirtland AFB, NM. Iron (Fe-56), lead (Pb-207), polyethylene (C2H4 –– > C-12 & H-1), and uranium (U-235 and U-238) were

Ionization signals from diamond detectors in fast-neutron fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, C.; Frais-Kölbl, H.; Griesmayer, E.; Kavrigin, P.

2016-09-01

In this paper we introduce a novel analysis technique for measurements with single-crystal chemical vapor deposition (sCVD) diamond detectors in fast-neutron fields. This method exploits the unique electronic property of sCVD diamond sensors that the signal shape of the detector current is directly proportional to the initial ionization profile. In fast-neutron fields the diamond sensor acts simultaneously as target and sensor. The interaction of neutrons with the stable isotopes 12 C and 13 C is of interest for fast-neutron diagnostics. The measured signal shapes of detector current pulses are used to identify individual types of interactions in the diamond with the goal to select neutron-induced reactions in the diamond and to suppress neutron-induced background reactions as well as γ-background. The method is verified with experimental data from a measurement in a 14.3 MeV neutron beam at JRC-IRMM, Geel/Belgium, where the 13C(n, α)10Be reaction was successfully extracted from the dominating background of recoil protons and γ-rays and the energy resolution of the 12C(n, α)9Be reaction was substantially improved. The presented analysis technique is especially relevant for diagnostics in harsh radiation environments, like fission and fusion reactors. It allows to extract the neutron spectrum from the background, and is particularly applicable to neutron flux monitoring and neutron spectroscopy.

Digital lattice gauge theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zohar, Erez; Farace, Alessandro; Reznik, Benni; Cirac, J. Ignacio

2017-02-01

We propose a general scheme for a digital construction of lattice gauge theories with dynamical fermions. In this method, the four-body interactions arising in models with 2 +1 dimensions and higher are obtained stroboscopically, through a sequence of two-body interactions with ancillary degrees of freedom. This yields stronger interactions than the ones obtained through perturbative methods, as typically done in previous proposals, and removes an important bottleneck in the road towards experimental realizations. The scheme applies to generic gauge theories with Lie or finite symmetry groups, both Abelian and non-Abelian. As a concrete example, we present the construction of a digital quantum simulator for a Z3 lattice gauge theory with dynamical fermionic matter in 2 +1 dimensions, using ultracold atoms in optical lattices, involving three atomic species, representing the matter, gauge, and auxiliary degrees of freedom, that are separated in three different layers. By moving the ancilla atoms with a proper sequence of steps, we show how we can obtain the desired evolution in a clean, controlled way.

Entangling atomic spins with a Rydberg-dressed spin-flip blockade

DOE PAGES

Jau, Y. -Y.; Hankin, A. M.; Keating, T.; ...

2015-10-05

Controlling the quantum entanglement between parts of a many-body system is key to unlocking the power of quantum technologies such as quantum computation, high-precision sensing, and the simulation of many-body physics. The spin degrees of freedom of ultracold neutral atoms in their ground electronic state provide a natural platform for such applications thanks to their long coherence times and the ability to control them with magneto-optical fields. However, the creation of strong coherent coupling between spins has been challenging. In this paper, we demonstrate a strong and tunable Rydberg-dressed interaction between spins of individually trapped caesium atoms with energy shiftsmore » of order 1 MHz in units of Planck’s constant. This interaction leads to a ground-state spin-flip blockade, whereby simultaneous hyperfine spin flips of two atoms are inhibited owing to their mutual interaction. Finally, we employ this spin-flip blockade to rapidly produce single-step Bell-state entanglement between two atoms with a fidelity ≥81(2)%.« less

Diffusion Monte Carlo study of strongly interacting two-dimensional Fermi gases

DOE PAGES

Galea, Alexander; Dawkins, Hillary; Gandolfi, Stefano; ...

2016-02-01

Ultracold atomic Fermi gases have been a popular topic of research, with attention being paid recently to two-dimensional (2D) gases. In this work, we perform T=0 ab initio diffusion Monte Carlo calculations for a strongly interacting two-component Fermi gas confined to two dimensions. We first go over finite-size systems and the connection to the thermodynamic limit. After that, we illustrate pertinent 2D scattering physics and properties of the wave function. We then show energy results for the strong-coupling crossover, in between the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) regimes. Our energy results for the BEC-BCS crossover are parametrized to producemore » an equation of state, which is used to determine Tan's contact. We carry out a detailed comparison with other microscopic results. Lastly, we calculate the pairing gap for a range of interaction strengths in the strong coupling regime, following from variationally optimized many-body wave functions.« less

Emergence of kinetic behavior in streaming ultracold neutral plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McQuillen, P.; Castro, J.; Bradshaw, S. J.

2015-04-15

We create streaming ultracold neutral plasmas by tailoring the photoionizing laser beam that creates the plasma. By varying the electron temperature, we control the relative velocity of the streaming populations, and, in conjunction with variation of the plasma density, this controls the ion collisionality of the colliding streams. Laser-induced fluorescence is used to map the spatially resolved density and velocity distribution function for the ions. We identify the lack of local thermal equilibrium and distinct populations of interpenetrating, counter-streaming ions as signatures of kinetic behavior. Experimental data are compared with results from a one-dimensional, two-fluid numerical simulation.

Long-Lived Ultracold Molecules with Electric and Magnetic Dipole Moments.

PubMed

Rvachov, Timur M; Son, Hyungmok; Sommer, Ariel T; Ebadi, Sepehr; Park, Juliana J; Zwierlein, Martin W; Ketterle, Wolfgang; Jamison, Alan O

2017-10-06

We create fermionic dipolar ^{23}Na^{6}Li molecules in their triplet ground state from an ultracold mixture of ^{23}Na and ^{6}Li. Using magnetoassociation across a narrow Feshbach resonance followed by a two-photon stimulated Raman adiabatic passage to the triplet ground state, we produce 3×10^{4} ground state molecules in a spin-polarized state. We observe a lifetime of 4.6 s in an isolated molecular sample, approaching the p-wave universal rate limit. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy of the triplet state was used to determine the hyperfine structure of this previously unobserved molecular state.

Long-Lived Ultracold Molecules with Electric and Magnetic Dipole Moments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rvachov, Timur M.; Son, Hyungmok; Sommer, Ariel T.; Ebadi, Sepehr; Park, Juliana J.; Zwierlein, Martin W.; Ketterle, Wolfgang; Jamison, Alan O.

2017-10-01

We create fermionic dipolar 23Na 6Li molecules in their triplet ground state from an ultracold mixture of 23Na and 6Li. Using magnetoassociation across a narrow Feshbach resonance followed by a two-photon stimulated Raman adiabatic passage to the triplet ground state, we produce 3 ×1 04 ground state molecules in a spin-polarized state. We observe a lifetime of 4.6 s in an isolated molecular sample, approaching the p -wave universal rate limit. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy of the triplet state was used to determine the hyperfine structure of this previously unobserved molecular state.

Hyperfine structure of 2Σ molecules containing alkaline-earth-metal atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldegunde, Jesus; Hutson, Jeremy M.

2018-04-01

Ultracold molecules with both electron spin and an electric dipole moment offer new possibilities in quantum science. We use density-functional theory to calculate hyperfine coupling constants for a selection of molecules important in this area, including RbSr, LiYb, RbYb, CaF, and SrF. We find substantial hyperfine coupling constants for the fermionic isotopes of the alkaline-earth-metal and Yb atoms. We discuss the hyperfine level patterns and Zeeman splittings expected for these molecules. The results will be important both to experiments aimed at forming ultracold open-shell molecules and to their applications.

Momentum distribution functions in ensembles: the inequivalence of microcannonical and canonical ensembles in a finite ultracold system.

PubMed

Wang, Pei; Xianlong, Gao; Li, Haibin

2013-08-01

It is demonstrated in many thermodynamic textbooks that the equivalence of the different ensembles is achieved in the thermodynamic limit. In this present work we discuss the inequivalence of microcanonical and canonical ensembles in a finite ultracold system at low energies. We calculate the microcanonical momentum distribution function (MDF) in a system of identical fermions (bosons). We find that the microcanonical MDF deviates from the canonical one, which is the Fermi-Dirac (Bose-Einstein) function, in a finite system at low energies where the single-particle density of states and its inverse are finite.

Nuclear-spin-independent short-range three-body physics in ultracold atoms.

PubMed

Gross, Noam; Shotan, Zav; Kokkelmans, Servaas; Khaykovich, Lev

2010-09-03

We investigate three-body recombination loss across a Feshbach resonance in a gas of ultracold 7Li atoms prepared in the absolute ground state and perform a comparison with previously reported results of a different nuclear-spin state [N. Gross, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 163202 (2009)]. We extend the previously reported universality in three-body recombination loss across a Feshbach resonance to the absolute ground state. We show that the positions and widths of recombination minima and Efimov resonances are identical for both states which indicates that the short-range physics is nuclear-spin independent.

Ultracold atoms in strong synthetic magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ketterle, Wolfgang

2015-03-01

The Harper Hofstadter Hamiltonian describes charged particles in the lowest band of a lattice at high magnetic fields. This Hamiltonian can be realized with ultracold atoms using laser assisted tunneling which imprints the same phase into the wavefunction of neutral atoms as a magnetic field dose for electrons. I will describe our observation of a bosonic superfluid in a magnetic field with half a flux quantum per lattice unit cell, and discuss new possibilities for implementing spin-orbit coupling. Work done in collaboration with C.J. Kennedy, G.A. Siviloglou, H. Miyake, W.C. Burton, and Woo Chang Chung.

Dynamics of interacting fermions under spin-orbit coupling in an optical lattice clock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, S. L.; Kolkowitz, S.; Bothwell, T.; Kedar, D.; Safavi-Naini, A.; Wall, M. L.; Salomon, C.; Rey, A. M.; Ye, J.

2018-04-01

Quantum statistics and symmetrization dictate that identical fermions do not interact via s-wave collisions. However, in the presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC), fermions prepared in identical internal states with distinct momenta become distinguishable. The resulting strongly interacting system can exhibit exotic topological and pairing behaviours, many of which are yet to be observed in condensed matter systems. Ultracold atomic gases offer a promising pathway for simulating these rich phenomena, but until recently have been hindered by heating and losses. Here we enter a new regime of many-body interacting SOC in a fermionic optical lattice clock (OLC), where the long-lived electronic clock states mitigate unwanted dissipation. Using clock spectroscopy, we observe the precession of the collective magnetization and the emergence of spin-locking effects arising from an interplay between p-wave and SOC-induced exchange interactions. The many-body dynamics are well captured by a collective XXZ spin model, which describes a broad class of condensed matter systems ranging from superconductors to quantum magnets. Furthermore, our work will aid in the design of next-generation OLCs by offering a route for avoiding the observed large density shifts caused by SOC-induced exchange interactions.

Excited nuclei, resonances and reactions in neutron star crusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takibayev, N.; Nasirova, D.; Katō, K.; Kurmangaliyeva, V.

2018-01-01

The short review of research results concerning the study of reactions and processes that occur in the neutron star crusts is given. The peculiarities of electron capture reactions by a nucleus in overdense crystalline structures have been demonstrated for various nuclei, in particular some even-even nuclei at electron capture reactions give daughter nuclei in excited states. Excited nuclei due to nonlinear interactions lead to a high-order harmonic generation. High energy gammas interact with charged particles, give a neutrino radiation and also knock out nucleons from neighbour nuclei. It is also shown that interactions of neutrons with two and more nuclei in an overdence lattice give a large number of new resonance states. These resonances result in a formation of specific local oscillations in the corresponding layers of the lattice. The periodic enhancement of these processes in the dependence on the elemental composition of the primary neutron star matter is considered.

Calculations of the β-decay half-lives of neutron-deficient nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Wenjin; Ni, Dongdong; Ren, Zhongzhou

2017-05-01

In this work, β+/EC decays of some medium-mass nuclei are investigated within the extended quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA), where neutron-neutron, proton-proton and neutron-proton (np) pairing correlations are taken into consideration in the specialized Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) transformation. In addition to the pairing interaction, the Brückner G-matrix obtained with the charge-dependent Bonn nucleon-nucleon force is used for the residual particle-particle and particle-hole interactions. Calculations are performed for even-even proton-rich isotopes ranging from Z=24 to Z=34. It is found that the np pairing interaction plays a significant role in β-decay for some nuclei far from stability. Compared with other theoretical calculations, our calculations show good agreement with the available experimental data. Predictions of β-decay half-lives for some very neutron-deficient nuclei are made for reference. Supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (11535004, 11375086, 11120101005, 11175085 and 11235001), 973 Nation Major State Basic Research and Development of China (2013CB834400) and Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau (020/2014/A1 and 039/2013/A2)

Neutron-proton effective mass splitting in terms of symmetry energy and its density slope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chakraborty, S.; Sahoo, B.; Sahoo, S., E-mail: sukadevsahoo@yahoo.com

2015-01-15

Using a simple density-dependent finite-range effective interaction having Yukawa form, the density dependence of isoscalar and isovector effective masses is studied. The isovector effective mass is found to be different for different pairs of like and unlike nucleons. Using HVH theorem, the neutron-proton effective mass splitting is represented in terms of symmetry energy and its density slope. It is again observed that the neutron-proton effective mass splitting has got a positive value when isoscalar effective mass is greater than the isovector effective mass and has a negative value for the opposite case. Furthermore, the neutron-proton effective mass splitting is foundmore » to have a linear dependence on asymmetry β. The second-order symmetry potential has a vital role in the determination of density slope of symmetry energy but it does not have any contribution on neutron-proton effective mass splitting. The finite-range effective interaction is compared with the SLy2, SKM, f{sub −}, f{sub 0}, and f{sub +} forms of interactions.« less

Accretion Models for Young Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpar, M. A.

2003-07-01

Interaction with possible fallback material, along with the magnetic fields and rotation rates at birth should determine the fates and categories of young neutron stars. This paper addresses some issues related to pure or hybrid accretion models for explaining the properties of young neutron stars.

Proton elastic scattering from tin isotopes at 295 MeV and systematic change of neutron density distributions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terashima, S.; Sakaguchi, H.; Takeda, H.

Cross sections and analyzing powers for proton elastic scattering from {sup 116,118,120,122,124}Sn at 295 MeV have been measured for a momentum transfer of up to about 3.5 fm{sup -1} to deduce systematic changes of the neutron density distribution. We tuned the relativistic Love-Franey interaction to explain the proton elastic scattering of a nucleus whose density distribution is well known. Then, we applied this interaction to deduce the neutron density distributions of tin isotopes. The result of our analysis shows the clear systematic behavior of a gradual increase in the neutron skin thickness of tin isotopes with mass number.

Response of CMS avalanche photo-diodes to low energy neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, R. M.; Deiters, K.; Ingram, Q.; Renker, D.

2012-12-01

The response of the Avalanche Photo-diodes (APDs) installed in the CMS detector at the LHC to neutrons from 241AmBe and 252Cf sources is reported. Signals in size equivalent to those of up to 106 photo-electrons with the nominal APD gain are observed. Measurements with an APD with the protective epoxy coating removed and with the source placed behind the APD show that there is an important response due to recoil protons from neutron interactions with the hydrogen in the epoxy, in addition to signals from neutron interactions with the silicon of the diode. The effective gain of these signals is much smaller than the diode's nominal gain.

Un Détecteur de Neutrons pour la Spectrométrie de Masses Manquantes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bollini, D.; Buhler-Broglin, A.; Dalpiaz, P.; Massam, T.; Navach, F.; Navarria, F. L.; Schneegans, M. A.; Zichichi, A.

A large (2 × 0.39 m3 plastic scintillator) neutron detector capable to measure with high accuracy the coordinates of the neutron interaction point as well as its time-of-flight is described. As a missing mass spectrometer, it allows to observe for example the η, meson with a mass resolution of ± 4.2 MeV. Nous décrivous un détectcur de neutrons de grand volume sensible (2 x 0,39 m3 de scintillatcur plastique) capable de mesurer avec précision les coordonnées du point d'interaction du neutron détecté ainsi que son temp-de-vol. Employé comme spectrométre de masses manquantes, it permet d'observer par exemple le méson η avec une resolution de ± 4,2 MeY.

Direct observation of electronic and nuclear ground state splitting in external magnetic field by inelastic neutron scattering on oxidized ferrocene and ferrocene containing polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appel, Markus; Frick, Bernhard; Elbert, Johannes; Gallei, Markus; Stühn, Bernd

2015-01-01

The quantum mechanical splitting of states by interaction of a magnetic moment with an external magnetic field is well known, e.g., as Zeeman effect in optical transitions, and is also often seen in magnetic neutron scattering. We report excitations observed in inelastic neutron spectroscopy on the redox-responsive polymer poly(vinylferrocene). They are interpreted as splitting of the electronic ground state in the organometallic ferrocene units attached to the polymer chain where a magnetic moment is created by oxidation. In a second experiment using high resolution neutron backscattering spectroscopy we observe the hyperfine splitting, i.e., interaction of nuclear magnetic moments with external magnetic fields leading to sub-μeV excitations observable in incoherent neutron spin-flip scattering on hydrogen and vanadium nuclei.

Recently measured large AN for forward neutrons in p↑A collisions at √{sN N}=200 GeV explained through simulations of ultraperipheral collisions and hadronic interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitsuka, Gaku

2017-04-01

The PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider recently reported transverse single-spin asymmetry, AN, for forward neutrons in p↑A collisions at √{sNN}=200 GeV . AN in p↑Al and p↑Au collisions were measured as -0.015 and 0.18, respectively. These values are clearly different from the measured AN=-0.08 in p↑p collisions. In this paper, I propose that a large AN for forward neutrons in ultraperipheral p↑A collisions may explain the PHENIX measurements. The proposed model is demonstrated using two Monte Carlo simulations. In the ultraperipheral collision simulation, I use the starlight event generator for the simulation of the virtual photon flux and then use the maid2007 unitary isobar model for the simulation of neutron production in the interactions of a virtual photon with a polarized proton. In the p↑A hadronic interaction simulation, the differential cross sections for forward neutron production are predicted by a simple one-pion exchange model and the Glauber model. The simulated AN values for both the contribution of ultraperipheral collisions and the hadronic interactions are in good agreement with the PHENIX results.

Detection of gamma-neutron radiation by solid-state scintillation detectors. Detection of gamma-neutron radiation by novel solid-state scintillation detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryzhikov, V.; Grinyov, B.; Piven, L.

It is known that solid-state scintillators can be used for detection of both gamma radiation and neutron flux. In the past, neutron detection efficiencies of such solid-state scintillators did not exceed 5-7%. At the same time it is known that the detection efficiency of the gamma-neutron radiation characteristic of nuclear fissionable materials is by an order of magnitude higher than the efficiency of detection of neutron fluxes alone. Thus, an important objective is the creation of detection systems that are both highly efficient in gamma-neutron detection and also capable of exhibiting high gamma suppression for use in the role ofmore » detection of neutron radiation. In this work, we present the results of our experimental and theoretical studies on the detection efficiency of fast neutrons from a {sup 239}Pu-Be source by the heavy oxide scintillators BGO, GSO, CWO and ZWO, as well as ZnSe(Te, O). The most probable mechanism of fast neutron interaction with nuclei of heavy oxide scintillators is the inelastic scattering (n, n'γ) reaction. In our work, fast neutron detection efficiencies were determined by the method of internal counting of gamma-quanta that emerge in the scintillator from (n, n''γ) reactions on scintillator nuclei with the resulting gamma energies of ∼20-300 keV. The measured efficiency of neutron detection for the scintillation crystals we considered was ∼40-50 %. The present work included a detailed analysis of detection efficiency as a function of detector and area of the working surface, as well as a search for new ways to create larger-sized detectors of lower cost. As a result of our studies, we have found an unusual dependence of fast neutron detection efficiency upon thickness of the oxide scintillators. An explanation for this anomaly may involve the competition of two factors that accompany inelastic scattering on the heavy atomic nuclei. The transformation of the energy spectrum of neutrons involved in the (n, n'γ) reactions towards lower energies and the isotropic character of scattering of the secondary neutrons may lead to the observed limitation of the length of effective interaction, since a fraction of the secondary neutrons that propagate in the forward direction are not subject to further inelastic scattering because of their substantially lower energy. At these reduced energies, it is the capture cross-section (n, γ) that becomes predominant, resulting in lower detection efficiency. Based on these results, several types of detectors have been envisioned for application in detection systems for nuclear materials. The testing results for one such detector are presented in this work. We have studied the possibility of creation of a composite detector with scintillator granules placed inside a transparent polymer material. Because of the low transparency of such a dispersed scintillator, better light collection conditions are ensured by incorporation of a light guide between the scintillator layers. This guide is made of highly transparent polymer material. The use of a high-transparency hydrogen-containing polymer material for light guides not only ensures optimum conditions of light collection in the detector, but also allows certain deceleration of neutron radiation, increasing its interaction efficiency with the composite scintillation panels; accordingly, the detector signal is increased by 5-8%. When fast neutrons interact with the scintillator material, the resulting inelastic scattering gamma-quanta emerge, having different energies and different delay times with respect to the moment of the neutron interaction with the nucleus of the scintillator material (delay times ranging from 1x10{sup -9} to 1.3x10{sup -6} s). These internally generated gamma-quanta interact with the scintillator, and the resulting scintillation light is recorded by the photo-receiver. Since neutron sources are also strong sources of low-energy gamma-radiation, the use of dispersed ZnSe(Te) scintillator material provides high gamma-radiation detection efficiency in that energy range. This new type of gamma-neutron detector is based on a 'sandwich' structure using a ZnSe composite film and light guide with a fast neutron detection efficiency of about 6%. Its high detection efficiency of low-energy gamma-radiation allows a substantial increase (by an order of magnitude) in the efficiency of detection of neutron sources and transuranic materials by means of simultaneous detection of accompanying gamma-radiation. The design and fabrication technology of this detector allows the creation of gamma-neutron detectors characterized by high sensitivity at relatively low costs (as compared with analogs using oxide scintillators) for portable inspection systems. The sandwich structure can be comprised of any number of plates, with no limitations on thickness or area.« less

An application of interactive graphics to neutron spectrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binney, S. E.

1972-01-01

The use of interactive graphics is presented as an attractive method for performing multi-parameter data analysis of proton recoil distributions to determine neutron spectra. Interactive graphics allows the user to view results on-line as the program is running and to maintain maximum control over the path along which the calculation will proceed. Other advantages include less time to obtain results and freedom from handling paper tapes and IBM cards.

Triplet p + ip pairing correlations in the doped Kane-Mele-Hubbard model: A quantum Monte Carlo study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma, Tianxing; Lin, Hai-Qing; Gubernatis, James E.

2015-09-01

By using the constrained-phase quantum Monte Carlo method, we performed a systematic study of the pairing correlations in the ground state of the doped Kane-Mele-Hubbard model on a honeycomb lattice. We find that pairing correlations with d + id symmetry dominate close to half filling, but pairing correlations with p+ip symmetry dominate as hole doping moves the system below three-quarters filling. We correlate these behaviors of the pairing correlations with the topology of the Fermi surfaces of the non-interacting problem. We also find that the effective pairing correlation is enhanced greatly as the interaction increases, and these superconducting correlations aremore » robust against varying the spin-orbit coupling strength. Finally, our numerical results suggest a possible way to realize spin triplet superconductivity in doped honeycomb-like materials or ultracold atoms in optical traps.« less

Phase Diagram of the Bose Hubbard Model with Weak Links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hettiarachchilage, Kalani; Rousseau, Valy; Tam, Ka-Ming; Moreno, Juana; Jarrell, Mark; Sheehy, Daniel

2012-02-01

We study the ground state phase diagram of strongly interacting ultracold Bose gas in a one-dimensional optical lattice with a tunable weak link, by means of Quantum Monte Carlo simulation. This model contains an on-site repulsive interaction (U) and two different near-neighbor hopping terms, J and t, for the weak link and the remainder of the chain, respectively. We show that by reducing the strength of J, a novel intermediate phase develops which is compressible and non-superfluid. This novel phase is identified as a Normal Bose Liquid (NBL) which does not appear in the phase diagram of the homogeneous bosonic Hubbard model. Further, we find a linear variation of the phase boundary of Normal Bose Liquid (NBL) to SuperFluid (SF) as a function of the strength of the weak link. These results may provide a new path to design advanced atomtronic devices in the future.

Master equation with quantized atomic motion including dipole-dipole interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damanet, François; Braun, Daniel; Martin, John

2016-05-01

We derive a markovian master equation for the internal dynamics of an ensemble of two-level atoms including all effects related to the quantization of their motion. Our equation provides a unifying picture of the consequences of recoil and indistinguishability of atoms beyond the Lamb-Dicke regime on both their dissipative and conservative dynamics, and is relevant for experiments with ultracold trapped atoms. We give general expressions for the decay rates and the dipole-dipole shifts for any motional states, and we find analytical formulas for a number of relevant states (Gaussian states, Fock states and thermal states). In particular, we show that the dipole-dipole interactions and cooperative photon emission can be modulated through the external state of motion. The effects predicted should be experimentally observable with Rydberg atoms. FD would like to thank the F.R.S.-FNRS for financial support. FD is a FRIA Grant holder of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS.

Quantum phases of two-component bosons with spin-orbit coupling in optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Daisuke; Spielman, I. B.; Sá de Melo, C. A. R.

2017-12-01

Ultracold bosons in optical lattices are one of the few systems where bosonic matter is known to exhibit strong correlations. Here we push the frontier of our understanding of interacting bosons in optical lattices by adding synthetic spin-orbit coupling, and show that new kinds of density and chiral orders develop. The competition between the optical lattice period and the spin-orbit coupling length—which can be made comparable in experiments—along with the spin hybridization induced by a transverse field (i.e., Rabi coupling) and interparticle interactions create a rich variety of quantum phases including uniform, nonuniform, and phase-separated superfluids, as well as Mott insulators. The spontaneous symmetry-breaking phenomena at the transitions between them are explained by a two-order-parameter Ginzburg-Landau model with multiparticle umklapp processes. Finally, in order to characterize each phase, we calculated their experimentally measurable crystal momentum distributions.

Geometric phase effects in the ultracold D + HD $$ \\rightarrow $$ D + HD and D + HD $$\\leftrightarrow $$ H + D 2 reactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kendrick, Brian Kent; Hazra, Jisha; Balakrishnan, Naduvaluth

The results of accurate quantum reactive scattering calculations for the D + HD(v = 4, j = 0)more » $$\\to $$ D + HD($$v^{\\prime} $$, $$j^{\\prime} $$), D + HD(v = 4, j = 0) $$\\to $$ H + D2($$v^{\\prime} $$, $$j^{\\prime} $$) and H + D2(v = 4, j = 0) $$\\to $$ D + HD($$v^{\\prime} $$, $$j^{\\prime} $$) reactions are presented for collision energies between $$1\\,\\mu {\\rm{K}}$$ and $$100\\,{\\rm{K}}$$. The ab initio BKMP2 PES for the ground electronic state of H3 is used and all values of total angular momentum between $J=0-4$ are included. The general vector potential approach is used to include the geometric phase. The rotationally resolved, vibrationally resolved, and total reaction rate coefficients are reported as a function of collision energy. Rotationally resolved differential cross sections are also reported as a function of collision energy and scattering angle. Large geometric phase effects appear in the ultracold reaction rate coefficients which result in a significant enhancement or suppression of the rate coefficient (up to 3 orders of magnitude) relative to calculations which ignore the geometric phase. The results are interpreted using a new quantum interference mechanism which is unique to ultracold collisions. Significant effects of the geometric phase also appear in the rotationally resolved differential cross sections which lead to a very different oscillatory structure in both energy and scattering angle. Several shape resonances occur in the 1–$$10\\,{\\rm{K}}$$ energy range and the geometric phase is shown to significantly alter the predicted resonance spectrum. The geometric phase effects and ultracold rate coefficients depend sensitively on the nuclear spin. Furthermore, experimentalists may be able to control the reaction by the selection of a particular nuclear spin state.« less

A hybrid system of a membrane oscillator coupled to ultracold atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kampschulte, Tobias

2015-05-01

The control over micro- and nanomechanical oscillators has recently made impressive progress. First experiments demonstrated ground-state cooling and single-phonon control of high-frequency oscillators using cryogenic cooling and techniques of cavity optomechanics. Coupling engineered mechanical structures to microscopic quantum system with good coherence properties offers new possibilities for quantum control of mechanical vibrations, precision sensing and quantum-level signal transduction. Ultracold atoms are an attractive choice for such hybrid systems: Mechanical can either be coupled to the motional state of trapped atoms, which can routinely be ground-state cooled, or to the internal states, for which a toolbox of coherent manipulation and detection exists. Furthermore, atomic collective states with non-classical properties can be exploited to infer the mechanical motion with reduced quantum noise. Here we use trapped ultracold atoms to sympathetically cool the fundamental vibrational mode of a Si3N4 membrane. The coupling of membrane and atomic motion is mediated by laser light over a macroscopic distance and enhanced by an optical cavity around the membrane. The observed cooling of the membrane from room temperature to 650 +/- 230 mK shows that our hybrid mechanical-atomic system operates at a large cooperativity. Our scheme could provide ground-state cooling and quantum control of low-frequency oscillators such as levitated nanoparticles, in a regime where purely optomechanical techniques cannot reach the ground state. Furthermore, we will present a scheme where an optomechanical system is coupled to internal states of ultracold atoms. The mechanical motion is translated into a polarization rotation which drives Raman transitions between atomic ground states. Compared to the motional-state coupling, the new scheme enables to couple atoms to high-frequency structures such as optomechanical crystals.

Geometric phase effects in the ultracold D + HD $$ \\rightarrow $$ D + HD and D + HD $$\\leftrightarrow $$ H + D 2 reactions

DOE PAGES

Kendrick, Brian Kent; Hazra, Jisha; Balakrishnan, Naduvaluth

2016-12-15

The results of accurate quantum reactive scattering calculations for the D + HD(v = 4, j = 0)more » $$\\to $$ D + HD($$v^{\\prime} $$, $$j^{\\prime} $$), D + HD(v = 4, j = 0) $$\\to $$ H + D2($$v^{\\prime} $$, $$j^{\\prime} $$) and H + D2(v = 4, j = 0) $$\\to $$ D + HD($$v^{\\prime} $$, $$j^{\\prime} $$) reactions are presented for collision energies between $$1\\,\\mu {\\rm{K}}$$ and $$100\\,{\\rm{K}}$$. The ab initio BKMP2 PES for the ground electronic state of H3 is used and all values of total angular momentum between $J=0-4$ are included. The general vector potential approach is used to include the geometric phase. The rotationally resolved, vibrationally resolved, and total reaction rate coefficients are reported as a function of collision energy. Rotationally resolved differential cross sections are also reported as a function of collision energy and scattering angle. Large geometric phase effects appear in the ultracold reaction rate coefficients which result in a significant enhancement or suppression of the rate coefficient (up to 3 orders of magnitude) relative to calculations which ignore the geometric phase. The results are interpreted using a new quantum interference mechanism which is unique to ultracold collisions. Significant effects of the geometric phase also appear in the rotationally resolved differential cross sections which lead to a very different oscillatory structure in both energy and scattering angle. Several shape resonances occur in the 1–$$10\\,{\\rm{K}}$$ energy range and the geometric phase is shown to significantly alter the predicted resonance spectrum. The geometric phase effects and ultracold rate coefficients depend sensitively on the nuclear spin. Furthermore, experimentalists may be able to control the reaction by the selection of a particular nuclear spin state.« less

Neutron production in the interaction of 12 and 18 MeV electrons with a scattering foil inside a simple LINAC head.

PubMed

Soto-Bernal, Tzinnia Gabriela; Baltazar-Raigosa, Antonio; Medina-Castro, Diego; Vega-Carrillo, Hector Rene

2018-04-18

The characteristics of photons and neutrons produced during the interaction between a monoenergetic (12 and 18 MeV) electron beam and a tungsten scattering foil enclosed into a 10 cm-thick tungsten shell have been determined using Monte Carlo methods. This model was used aiming to represent a linac head working in electron-mode for cancer treatment. Photon and neutron spectra were determined around the scattering foil and to 50 and 100 cm below the electron source. Induced photons are mainly produced along the direction of the incoming electron beam. On the other hand, neutrons are produced in two sites, mainly in the inner surface of the linac head and in less extent in the scattering foil. The neutron spectra are evaporation neutrons which are emitted isotropically from the site where are produced leaking out from the linac head, reaching locations were the patient is allocated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neutron knockout from 68,70Ni ground and isomeric states.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recchia, F.; Weisshaar, D.; Gade, A.; Tostevin, J. A.; Janssens, R. V. F.; Albers, M.; Bader, V. M.; Baugher, T.; Bazin, D.; Berryman, J. S.; Brown, B. A.; Campbell, C. M.; Carpenter, M. P.; Chen, J.; Chiara, C. J.; Crawford, H. L.; Hoffman, C. R.; Kondev, F. G.; Korichi, A.; Langer, C.; Lauritsen, T.; Liddick, S. N.; Lunderberg, E.; Noji, S.; Prokop, C.; Stroberg, S. R.; Suchyta, S.; Wimmer, K.; Zhu, S.

2018-02-01

Neutron-rich isotopes are an important source of new information on nuclear physics. Specifically, the spin-isospin components in the nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction, e.g., the proton-neutron tensor force, are expected to modify shell structure in exotic nuclei. These potential changes in the intrinsic shell structure are of fundamental interest. The study of the excitation energy of states corresponding to specific configurations in even-even isotopes, together with the single-particle character of the first excited states of odd-A, neutron-rich Ni isotopes, probes the evolution of the neutron orbitals around the Fermi surface as a function of the neutron number a step forward in the understanding of the region and the nature of the NN interaction at large N/Z ratios. In an experiment carried out at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory [1], new spectroscopic information was obtained for 68Ni and the distribution of single-particle strengths in 67,69Ni was characterized by means of single-neutron knockout from 68,70Ni secondary beams. The spectroscopic strengths, deduced from the measured partial cross sections to the individual states tagged by their de-exciting gamma rays, is used to identify and quantify configurations that involve neutron excitations across the N = 40 harmonic oscillator shell closure. The de-excitation γ rays were measured with the GRETINA tracking array [2]. The results challenge the validity of the most current shell-model Hamiltonians and effective interactions, highlighting shortcomings that cannot yet be explained. These results suggest that our understanding of the low-energy states in such nuclei is not complete and requires further investigation.

Quantum quenches in the Luttinger model and its close relatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazalilla, M. A.; Chung, Ming-Chiang

2016-06-01

A number of results on quantum quenches in the Luttinger and related models are surveyed with emphasis on post-quench correlations. For the Luttinger model and initial gaussian states, we discuss both sudden and smooth quenches of the interaction and the emergence of a steady state described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble. Comparisons between analytics and numerics, and the question of universality or lack thereof are also discussed. The relevance of the theoretical results to current and future experiments in the fields of ultracold atomic gases and mesoscopic systems of electrons is also briefly touched upon. Wherever possible, our approach is pedagogical and self-contained. This work is dedicated to the memory of our colleague Alejandro Muramatsu.

Quench dynamics in strongly correlated Bose-Hubbard chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naegerl, Hanns-Christoph

2013-05-01

We present a series of experiments in the context of 1D physics with ultracold atoms, combining optical lattice potentials with the capability to tune the strength of the onsite particle interaction U. For an array of tilted 1D chains with site-to-site tilt E and initial unity occupation we record the dynamics after a quench to the phase transition point U ~E by monitoring the number of doublons created as a function of time after the quench. We observe characteristic oscillations from which we deduce a shift of the resonance condition as time progresses. For U/2 ~E and U/3 ~E we observe coupling to next-nearest neighbors and beyond.

Itinerant ferromagnetism in ultracold Fermi gases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heiselberg, H.

2011-05-15

Itinerant ferromagnetism in cold Fermi gases with repulsive interactions is studied applying the Jastrow-Slater approximation generalized to finite polarization and temperature. For two components at zero temperature, a second-order transition is found at ak{sub F}{approx_equal}0.90 compatible with results of quantum-Monte-Carlo (QMC) calculations. Thermodynamic functions and observables, such as the compressibility and spin susceptibility and the resulting fluctuations in number and spin, are calculated. For trapped gases, the resulting cloud radii and kinetic energies are calculated and compared to recent experiments. Spin-polarized systems are recommended for effective separation of large ferromagnetic domains. Collective modes are predicted and tricritical points are calculatedmore » for multicomponent systems.« less

Localized Magnetic Moments with Tunable Spin Exchange in a Gas of Ultracold Fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riegger, L.; Darkwah Oppong, N.; Höfer, M.; Fernandes, D. R.; Bloch, I.; Fölling, S.

2018-04-01

We report on the experimental realization of a state-dependent lattice for a two-orbital fermionic quantum gas with strong interorbital spin exchange. In our state-dependent lattice, the ground and metastable excited electronic states of 173Yb take the roles of itinerant and localized magnetic moments, respectively. Repulsive on-site interactions in conjunction with the tunnel mobility lead to spin exchange between mobile and localized particles, modeling the coupling term in the well-known Kondo Hamiltonian. In addition, we find that this exchange process can be tuned resonantly by varying the on-site confinement. We attribute this to a resonant coupling to center-of-mass excited bound states of one interorbital scattering channel.

High efficiency proportional neutron detector with solid liner internal structures

DOEpatents

Kisner, Roger Allen; Holcomb, David Eugene; Brown, Gilbert M.

2014-08-05

A tube-style neutron detector, a panel-style neutron detector incorporating a plurality of tube-style neutron detectors, and a panel-style neutron detector including a plurality of anode wires are provided. A plurality of channels is provided in a neutron detector such that each channel has an inner surface of a coating layer including a neutron-absorbing material. A wire anode is provided at end of each channel so that electrons generated by a charged daughter particle generated by a neutron are collected to detect a neutron-matter interaction. Moderator units can be incorporated into a neutron detector to provide improved detection efficiencies and/or to determine neutron energy spectrum. Gas-based proportional response from the neutron detectors can be employed for special nuclear material (SNM) detection. This neutron detector can provide similar performance to .sup.3He-based detectors without requiring .sup.3He and without containing toxic, flammable, or high-pressure materials.

Constraints on neutron star radii based on chiral effective field theory interactions.

PubMed

Hebeler, K; Lattimer, J M; Pethick, C J; Schwenk, A

2010-10-15

We show that microscopic calculations based on chiral effective field theory interactions constrain the properties of neutron-rich matter below nuclear densities to a much higher degree than is reflected in commonly used equations of state. Combined with observed neutron star masses, our results lead to a radius R=9.7-13.9  km for a 1.4M⊙ star, where the theoretical range is due, in about equal amounts, to uncertainties in many-body forces and to the extrapolation to high densities.

Searches for the pentaquark states {xi}(1860){sup 0} and {xi}(1860){sup --} in neutron-carbon interactions via the EXCHARM experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aleev, A. N.; Amaglobeli, N. S.; Balandin, V. P.

Results of searches for the pentaquark states {xi}(1860){sup 0} and {xi}(1860){sup --} in neutron-carbon interactions at an average neutron energy of about 51 GeV via the EXCHARM experiment are presented. No such states are found in the {xi}{sup -}{pi}{sup +} and {xi}{sup -}{pi}{sup -} effective-mass spectra examined in this study. Upper limits on the cross sections for {xi}(1860){sup 0} and {xi}(1860){sup --} production are estimated.

Uncertainty analysis of 208Pb neutron skin predictions with chiral interactions

DOE PAGES

Sammarruca, Francesca

2015-09-14

Here, we report predictions for the neutron skin in 208Pb using chiral two- and three-body interactions at increasing orders of chiral effective field theory and varying resolution scales. Closely related quantities, such as the slope of the symmetry energy, are also discussed. As a result, the sensitivity of the skin to just pure neutron matter pressure when going from order 2 to order 4 of chiral effective theory is singled out in a set of calculations that employ an empirical equation of state for symmetric nuclear matter.

Molecular Dynamics and Neutron Scattering Studies of Mixed Solutions of Caffeine and Pyridine in Water.

PubMed

Tavagnacco, Letizia; Mason, Philip E; Neilson, George W; Saboungi, Marie-Louise; Cesàro, Attilio; Brady, John W

2018-05-31

Insight into the molecular interactions of homotactic and heterotactic association of caffeine and pyridine in aqueous solution is given on the basis of both experimental and simulation studies. Caffeine is about 5 times more soluble in a 3 m aqueous pyridine solution than it is in pure water (an increase from ∼0.1 m to 0.5 m). At this elevated concentration the system becomes suitable for neutron scattering study. Caffeine-pyridine interactions were studied by neutron scattering and molecular dynamics simulations, allowing a detailed characterization of the spatial and orientational structure of the solution. It was found that while pyridine-caffeine interactions are not as strong as caffeine-caffeine interactions, the pyridine-caffeine interactions still significantly disrupted caffeine-caffeine stacking. The alteration of the caffeine-caffeine stacking, occasioned by the presence of pyridine molecules in solution and the consequent formation of heterotactic interactions, leads to the experimentally detected increase in caffeine solubility.

Herbert P. Broida Prize Talk: A single Rydberg electron in a Bose-Einstein condensate: from two to few to many-body physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfau, Tilman

2017-04-01

Modern quantum scattering theory was developed in the context of Rydberg spectroscopy in 1934 by Enrico Fermi. He showed that for slow electrons the scattering from polarizable atoms via a 1/r4 potential is purely s-wave and can be described by a Fermi pseudopotential and a scattering length. To study this interaction Rydberg electrons are well suited as they are slow and trapped by the charged nucleus. In a high pressure discharge Amaldi and Segre, observed a line shift proportional to the scattering length. At ultracold temperatures one can ask the opposite question: What does a Rydberg electron do to the neutral atom sitting in the electronic orbit? We found that one, two or many ground state atoms can be trapped in the mean-field potential created by the Rydberg electron, leading to so called ultra-long range Rydberg molecules. I will explain this novel molecular binding mechanism and the properties of these exotic molecules. At higher Rydberg states the spatial extent of the Rydberg electron orbit is increasing. For principal quantum numbers n in the range of 100-200 up to several ten thousand ultracold ground state atoms can be located inside one Rydberg atom, When we excite a single Rydberg electron in a Bose-Einstein Condensate, the orbital size of which becomes comparable to the size of the BEC we observe the coupling between the electron and phonons in the BEC.

Adimensional theory of shielding in ultracold collisions of dipolar rotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Martínez, Maykel L.; Bohn, John L.; Quéméner, Goulven

2017-09-01

We investigate the electric field shielding of ultracold collisions of dipolar rotors, initially in their first rotational excited state, using an adimensional approach. We establish a map of good and bad candidates for efficient evaporative cooling based on this shielding mechanism, by presenting the ratio of elastic over quenching processes as a function of a rescaled rotational constant B ˜=B /sE3 and a rescaled electric field F ˜=d F /B . B ,d ,F ,andsE 3 are respectively the rotational constant, the full electric dipole moment of the molecules, the applied electric field, and a characteristic dipole-dipole energy. We identify two groups of bi-alkali-metal dipolar molecules. The first group, including RbCs, NaK, KCs, LiK, NaRb, LiRb, NaCs, and LiCs, is favorable with a ratio over 1000 at collision energies equal to (or even higher than) their characteristic dipolar energy. The second group, including LiNa and KRb, is not favorable. More generally, for molecules well described by Hund's case b, our adimensional study provides the conditions of efficient evaporative cooling. The range of appropriate rescaled rotational constant and rescaled field is approximately B ˜≥108 and 3.25 ≤F ˜≤3.8 , with a maximum ratio reached for F ˜≃3.4 for a given B ˜. We also discuss the importance of the electronic van der Waals interaction on the adimensional character of our study.

Shear viscosity in an anisotropic unitary Fermi gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Rickmoy; Sharma, Rishi; Trivedi, Sandip P.

2017-11-01

We consider a system consisting of a strongly interacting, ultracold unitary Fermi gas under harmonic confinement. Our analysis suggests the possibility of experimentally studying, in this system, an anisotropic shear viscosity tensor driven by the anisotropy in the trapping potential. In particular, we suggest that this experimental setup could mimic some features of anisotropic geometries that have recently been studied for strongly coupled field theories which have a dual gravitational description. Results using the AdS/CFT (anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence) in these theories show that in systems with a background linear potential, certain viscosity components can be made much smaller than the entropy density, parametrically violating the bound proposed by Kovtun, Son, and Starinets (KSS). This intuition, along with results from a Boltzmann analysis that we perform, suggests that a violation of the KSS bound can perhaps occur in the unitary Fermi gas system when it is subjected to a suitable anisotropic trapping potential which may be approximated to be linear in a suitable range of parameters. We give a concrete proposal for an experimental setup where an anisotropic shear viscosity tensor may arise. In such situations, it may also be possible to observe a reduction in the spin-1 component of the shear viscosity from its lowest value observed so far in ultracold Fermi gases. In extreme anisotropic situations, the reduction may be enough to reduce the shear viscosity to entropy ratio below the proposed KSS bound, although this regime is difficult to analyze in a theoretically controlled manner.

Absolute measurements of fast neutrons using yttrium.

PubMed

Roshan, M V; Springham, S V; Rawat, R S; Lee, P; Krishnan, M

2010-08-01

Yttrium is presented as an absolute neutron detector for pulsed neutron sources. It has high sensitivity for detecting fast neutrons. Yttrium has the property of generating a monoenergetic secondary radiation in the form of a 909 keV gamma-ray caused by inelastic neutron interaction. It was calibrated numerically using MCNPX and does not need periodic recalibration. The total yttrium efficiency for detecting 2.45 MeV neutrons was determined to be f(n) approximately 4.1x10(-4) with an uncertainty of about 0.27%. The yttrium detector was employed in the NX2 plasma focus experiments and showed the neutron yield of the order of 10(8) neutrons per discharge.

Development of an instrument for non-destructive identification of Unexploded Ordnance using tagged neutrons - a proof of concept study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitra, S.; Dioszegi, I.

2011-10-23

Range clearance operations at munitions testing grounds must discriminate Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) from clutter items and distinguish UXO filled with High Explosives (HE) from those with inert fillers. Non-destructive technologies are thus necessary for the cost-effective disposal of UXO during remediation of such sites. The only technique showing promise so far for the non-destructive elemental characterization of UXO fillers utilizes neutron interactions with the material to detect carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) which have unique ratios in HE. However, several unresolved issues hinder the wide application of this potentially very suitable technique. The most important one is thatmore » neutrons interact with all surrounding matter in addition to the interrogated material, leading to a very high gamma-ray background in the detector. Systems requiring bulky shielding and having poor signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for measuring elements are unsuitable for field deployment. The inadequacies of conventional neutron interrogation methods are overcome by using the tagged-neutron approach, and the availability of compact sealed neutron generators exploiting this technique offers field deployment of non-intrusive measurement systems for detecting threat materials, like explosives and drugs. By accelerating deuterium ions into a tritium target, the subsequent fusion reaction generates nearly back-to-back emissions of neutrons and alpha particles of energy 14.1 and 3.5 MeV respectively. A position-sensitive detector recognizes the associated alpha particle, thus furnishing the direction of the neutron. The tagged neutrons interact with the nuclei of the interrogated object, producing element-specific prompt gamma-rays that the gamma detectors recognize. Measuring the delay between the detections of the alpha particle and the gamma-ray determines where the reaction occurred along the axis of the neutron beam (14.1 MeV neutrons travel at 5 cm/nanosecond, while gamma rays cover 30 cm/nanosecond). The main advantage of the technique is its ability to simultaneously provide 2D and 3D imaging of objects and their elemental composition. This work reports on the efficacy of using 14 MeV neutrons tagged by the associated particle neutron time-of-flight technique (APnTOF) to extract neutron induced characteristic gamma-rays from an object-of-interest with high SNR and without interference from nearby clutter.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kelley, R.P., E-mail: rpkelley@ufl.edu; Ray, H.; Jordan, K.A.

An empirical investigation of the scintillation mechanism in a pressurized {sup 4}He gas fast neutron detector was conducted using pulse shape fitting. Scintillation signals from neutron interactions were measured and averaged to produce a single generic neutron pulse shape from both a {sup 252}Cf spontaneous fission source and a (d,d) neutron generator. An expression for light output over time was then developed by treating the decay of helium excited states in the same manner as the decay of radioactive isotopes. This pulse shape expression was fitted to the measured neutron pulse shape using a least-squares optimization algorithm, allowing an empiricalmore » analysis of the mechanism of scintillation inside the {sup 4}He detector. A further understanding of this mechanism in the {sup 4}He detector will advance the use of this system as a neutron spectrometer. For {sup 252}Cf neutrons, the triplet and singlet time constants were found to be 970 ns and 686 ns, respectively. For neutrons from the (d,d) generator, the time constants were found to be 884 ns and 636 ns. Differences were noted in the magnitude of these parameters compared to previously published data, however the general relationships were noted to be the same and checked with expected trends from theory. Of the excited helium states produced from a {sup 252}Cf neutron interaction, 76% were found to be born as triplet states, similar to the result from the neutron generator of 71%. The two sources yielded similar pulse shapes despite having very different neutron energy spectra, validating the robustness of the fits across various neutron energies.« less

Neutron and gamma irradiation effects on power semiconductor switches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, G. E.; Frasca, A. J.

1990-01-01

The performance characteristics of high-power semiconductor switches subjected to high levels of neutron fluence and gamma dose must be known by the designer of the power conditioning, control and transmission subsystem of space nuclear power systems. Location and the allowable shielding mass budget will determine the level of radiation tolerance required by the switches to meet performance and reliability requirements. Neutron and gamma ray interactions with semiconductor materials and how these interactions affect the electrical and switching characteristics of solid state power switches is discussed. The experimental measurement system and radiation facilities are described. Experimental data showing the effects of neutron and gamma irradiation on the performance characteristics are given for power-type NPN Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). BJTs show a rapid decrease in gain, blocking voltage, and storage time for neutron irradiation, and MOSFETs show a rapid decrease in the gate threshold voltage for gamma irradiation.

Neutron and gamma irradiation effects on power semiconductor switches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, G. E.; Frasca, A. J.

1990-01-01

The performance characteristics of high power semiconductor switches subjected to high levels of neutron fluence and gamma dose must be known by the designer of the power conditioning, control and transmission subsystem of space nuclear power systems. Location and the allowable shielding mass budget will determine the level of radiation tolerance required by the switches to meet performance and reliability requirements. Neutron and gamma ray interactions with semiconductor materials and how these interactions affect the electrical and switching characteristics of solid state power switches is discussed. The experimental measurement system and radiation facilities are described. Experimental data showing the effects of neutron and gamma irradiation on the performance characteristics are given for power-type NPN Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). BJTs show a rapid decrease in gain, blocking voltage, and storage time for neutron irradiation, and MOSFETs show a rapid decrease in the gate threshold voltage for gamma irradiation.

A slow neutron polarimeter for the measurement of parity-odd neutron rotary power.

PubMed

Snow, W M; Anderson, E; Barrón-Palos, L; Bass, C D; Bass, T D; Crawford, B E; Crawford, C; Dawkins, J M; Esposito, D; Fry, J; Gardiner, H; Gan, K; Haddock, C; Heckel, B R; Holley, A T; Horton, J C; Huffer, C; Lieffers, J; Luo, D; Maldonado-Velázquez, M; Markoff, D M; Micherdzinska, A M; Mumm, H P; Nico, J S; Sarsour, M; Santra, S; Sharapov, E I; Swanson, H E; Walbridge, S B; Zhumabekova, V

2015-05-01

We present the design, description, calibration procedure, and an analysis of systematic effects for an apparatus designed to measure the rotation of the plane of polarization of a transversely polarized slow neutron beam as it passes through unpolarized matter. This device is the neutron optical equivalent of a crossed polarizer/analyzer pair familiar from light optics. This apparatus has been used to search for parity violation in the interaction of polarized slow neutrons in matter. Given the brightness of existing slow neutron sources, this apparatus is capable of measuring a neutron rotary power of dϕ/dz = 1 × 10(-7) rad/m.

Conjugate gradient minimisation approach to generating holographic traps for ultracold atoms.

PubMed

Harte, Tiffany; Bruce, Graham D; Keeling, Jonathan; Cassettari, Donatella

2014-11-03

Direct minimisation of a cost function can in principle provide a versatile and highly controllable route to computational hologram generation. Here we show that the careful design of cost functions, combined with numerically efficient conjugate gradient minimisation, establishes a practical method for the generation of holograms for a wide range of target light distributions. This results in a guided optimisation process, with a crucial advantage illustrated by the ability to circumvent optical vortex formation during hologram calculation. We demonstrate the implementation of the conjugate gradient method for both discrete and continuous intensity distributions and discuss its applicability to optical trapping of ultracold atoms.

Experimental Observation of One-Dimensional Superradiance Lattices in Ultracold Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Liangchao; Wang, Pengjun; Meng, Zengming; Huang, Lianghui; Cai, Han; Wang, Da-Wei; Zhu, Shi-Yao; Zhang, Jing

2018-05-01

We measure the superradiant emission in a one-dimensional (1D) superradiance lattice (SL) in ultracold atoms. Resonantly excited to a superradiant state, the atoms are further coupled to other collectively excited states, which form a 1D SL. The directional emission of one of the superradiant excited states in the 1D SL is measured. The emission spectra depend on the band structure, which can be controlled by the frequency and intensity of the coupling laser fields. This work provides a platform for investigating the collective Lamb shift of resonantly excited superradiant states in Bose-Einstein condensates and paves the way for realizing higher dimensional superradiance lattices.

Stable spin domains in a nondegenerate ultracold gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, S. D.; Niroomand, D.; Ragan, R. J.; McGuirk, J. M.

2018-05-01

We study the stability of two-domain spin structures in an ultracold gas of magnetically trapped 87Rb atoms above quantum degeneracy. Adding a small effective magnetic field gradient stabilizes the domains via coherent collective spin rotation effects, despite negligibly perturbing the potential energy relative to the thermal energy. We demonstrate that domain stabilization is accomplished through decoupling the dynamics of longitudinal magnetization, which remains in time-independent domains, from transverse magnetization, which undergoes a purely transverse spin wave trapped within the domain wall. We explore the effect of temperature and density on the steady-state domains, and compare our results to a hydrodynamic solution to a quantum Boltzmann equation.

A vacuum gauge based on an ultracold gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makhalov, V. B.; Turlapov, A. V.

2017-06-01

We report the design and application of a primary vacuum gauge based on an ultracold gas of atoms in an optical dipole trap. The pressure is calculated from the confinement time for atoms in the trap. The relationship between pressure and confinement time is established from the first principles owing to elimination of all channels introducing losses, except for knocking out an atom from the trap due to collisions with a residual gas particle. The method requires the knowledge of the gas chemical composition in the vacuum chamber, and, in the absence of this information, the systematic error is less than that of the ionisation sensor.

Resonances at very low temperature for the reaction D2 + H

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simbotin, I.; Côté, R.

2017-05-01

We present numerical results for rate coefficients of reaction and vibrational quenching in the collision of H with {{{D}}}2(v,j) at cold and ultracold temperatures. We explore both ortho-D{}2(j=0) and para-D{}2(j=1) for several initial vibrational states (v≤slant 5), and find resonant structures in the energy range 0.01-10 K, which are sensitive to the initial rovibrational state (v, j). We compare the reaction rates for D2 + H with our previously obtained results for the isotopologue reaction H2 + D, and discuss the implications of our detailed study of this benchmark system for ultracold chemistry.

Control system high-precision laser to obtain the ensemble of ultracold ions Th3+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florentsev, V. V.; Zhdamirov, V. Yu; Rodko, I. I.; Borodulya, N. A.; Biryukov, A. P.

2018-01-01

One of key problems of nuclear standard frequency development is preparation assembly of ultracold thorium ions in Pauli trap. In this case semiconductive frequency-stabilized lasers with external resonator on frequencies 690 nm, 984 nm, and 1088 nm are used for excitation of corresponding electronic dipole and quadrupole cooling transitions for Th3+ ions. In the paper the results of development and creation of unified laser module, which is able to be used as base for full-featured system designed for laser cooling of Th3+ ions, are presented. The module is able to fine-tune necessary wavelength with accuracy ±5 nm.

Localization in momentum space of ultracold atoms in incommensurate lattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larcher, M.; Dalfovo, F.; Modugno, M.

2011-01-15

We characterize the disorder-induced localization in momentum space for ultracold atoms in one-dimensional incommensurate lattices, according to the dual Aubry-Andre model. For low disorder the system is localized in momentum space, and the momentum distribution exhibits time-periodic oscillations of the relative intensity of its components. The behavior of these oscillations is explained by means of a simple three-mode approximation. We predict their frequency and visibility by using typical parameters of feasible experiments. Above the transition the system diffuses in momentum space, and the oscillations vanish when averaged over different realizations, offering a clear signature of the transition.

A study of gamma-ray and neutron radiation in the interaction of a 2 MeV proton beam with various materials.

PubMed

Kasatov, D; Makarov, A; Shchudlo, I; Taskaev, S

2015-12-01

Epithermal neutron source based on a tandem accelerator with vacuum insulation and lithium target has been proposed, developed and operated in Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics. The source is regarded as a prototype of a future compact device suitable for carrying out BNCT in oncology centers. In this work the measurements of gamma-ray and neutron radiation are presented for the interaction of a 2 MeV proton beam with various materials (Li, C, F, Al, V, Ti, Cu, Mo, stainless steel, and Ta). The obtained results enabled the optimization of the neutron-generating target and the high energy beam transportation path. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Error analysis for fast scintillator-based inertial confinement fusion burn history measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerche, R. A.; Ognibene, T. J.

1999-01-01

Plastic scintillator material acts as a neutron-to-light converter in instruments that make inertial confinement fusion burn history measurements. Light output for a detected neutron in current instruments has a fast rise time (<20 ps) and a relatively long decay constant (1.2 ns). For a burst of neutrons whose duration is much shorter than the decay constant, instantaneous light output is approximately proportional to the integral of the neutron interaction rate with the scintillator material. Burn history is obtained by deconvolving the exponential decay from the recorded signal. The error in estimating signal amplitude for these integral measurements is calculated and compared with a direct measurement in which light output is linearly proportional to the interaction rate.

Quantum defect theory for the orbital Feshbach resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yanting; Zhang, Ren; Zhang, Peng

2017-01-01

In the ultracold gases of alkali-earth-metal-like atoms, a new type of Feshbach resonance, i.e., the orbital Feshbach resonance (OFR), has been proposed and experimentally observed in ultracold 173Yb atoms [R. Zhang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 135301 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.135301]. When the OFR of the 173Yb atoms occurs, the energy gap between the open and closed channels is smaller by two orders of magnitude than the van der Waals energy. As a result, quantitative accurate results for the low-energy two-body problems can be obtained via multichannel quantum defect theory (MQDT), which is based on the exact solution of the Schrödinger equation with the van der Waals potential. In this paper we use MQDT to calculate the two-atom scattering length, effective range, and binding energy of two-body bound states for the systems with OFR. With these results we further study the clock-transition spectrum for the two-body bound states, which can be used to experimentally measure the binding energy. Our results are helpful for the quantitative theoretical and experimental research for the ultracold gases of alkali-earth-metal-like atoms with OFR.

Nodal Topological Phases in s-wave Superfluid of Ultracold Fermionic Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bei-Bing; Yang, Xiao-Sen

2018-02-01

The gapless Weyl superfluid has been widely studied in the three-dimensional ultracold fermionic superfluid. In contrast to Weyl superfluid, there exists another kind of gapless superfluid with topologically protected nodal lines, which can be regarded as the superfluid counterpart of nodal line semimetal in the condensed matter physics, just as Weyl superfluid with Weyl semimetal. In this paper we study the ground states of the cold fermionic gases in cubic optical lattices with one-dimensional spin-orbit coupling and transverse Zeeman field and map out the topological phase diagram of the system. We demonstrate that in addition to a fully gapped topologically trivial phase, some different nodal line superfluid phases appear when the Zeeman field is adjusted. The presence of topologically stable nodal lines implies the dispersionless zero-energy flat band in a finite region of the surface Brillouin zone. Experimentally these nodal line superfluid states can be detected via the momentum-resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy. The nodal line topological superfluid provide fertile grounds for exploring exotic quantum matters in the context of ultracold atoms. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11547047 and 11504143

Pulse length of ultracold electron bunches extracted from a laser cooled gas

PubMed Central

Franssen, J. G. H.; Frankort, T. L. I.; Vredenbregt, E. J. D.; Luiten, O. J.

2017-01-01

We present measurements of the pulse length of ultracold electron bunches generated by near-threshold two-photon photoionization of a laser-cooled gas. The pulse length has been measured using a resonant 3 GHz deflecting cavity in TM110 mode. We have measured the pulse length in three ionization regimes. The first is direct two-photon photoionization using only a 480 nm femtosecond laser pulse, which results in short (∼15 ps) but hot (∼104 K) electron bunches. The second regime is just-above-threshold femtosecond photoionization employing the combination of a continuous-wave 780 nm excitation laser and a tunable 480 nm femtosecond ionization laser which results in both ultracold (∼10 K) and ultrafast (∼25 ps) electron bunches. These pulses typically contain ∼103 electrons and have a root-mean-square normalized transverse beam emittance of 1.5 ± 0.1 nm rad. The measured pulse lengths are limited by the energy spread associated with the longitudinal size of the ionization volume, as expected. The third regime is just-below-threshold ionization which produces Rydberg states which slowly ionize on microsecond time scales. PMID:28396879

Fermions in Two Dimensions: Scattering and Many-Body Properties

DOE PAGES

Galea, Alexander; Zielinski, Tash; Gandolfi, Stefano; ...

2017-08-10

Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in two dimensions (2D) are an increasingly popular topic of research. The interaction strength between spin-up and spin-down particles in two-component Fermi gases can be tuned in experiments, allowing for a strongly interacting regime where the gas properties are yet to be fully understood. We have probed this regime for 2D Fermi gases by performing T = 0 ab initio diffusion Monte Carlo calculations. The many-body dynamics are largely dependent on the two-body interactions; therefore, we start with an in-depth look at scattering theory in 2D. We show the partial-wave expansion and its relation to themore » scattering length and effective range. Then, we discuss our numerical methods for determining these scattering parameters. Here, we close out this discussion by illustrating the details of bound states in 2D. Transitioning to the many-body system, we also use variationally optimized wave functions to calculate ground-state properties of the gas over a range of interaction strengths. We show results for the energy per particle and parametrize an equation of state. We then proceed to determine the chemical potential for the strongly interacting gas.« less

Fermions in Two Dimensions: Scattering and Many-Body Properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galea, Alexander; Zielinski, Tash; Gandolfi, Stefano

Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in two dimensions (2D) are an increasingly popular topic of research. The interaction strength between spin-up and spin-down particles in two-component Fermi gases can be tuned in experiments, allowing for a strongly interacting regime where the gas properties are yet to be fully understood. We have probed this regime for 2D Fermi gases by performing T = 0 ab initio diffusion Monte Carlo calculations. The many-body dynamics are largely dependent on the two-body interactions; therefore, we start with an in-depth look at scattering theory in 2D. We show the partial-wave expansion and its relation to themore » scattering length and effective range. Then, we discuss our numerical methods for determining these scattering parameters. Here, we close out this discussion by illustrating the details of bound states in 2D. Transitioning to the many-body system, we also use variationally optimized wave functions to calculate ground-state properties of the gas over a range of interaction strengths. We show results for the energy per particle and parametrize an equation of state. We then proceed to determine the chemical potential for the strongly interacting gas.« less

Anomalous dynamical phase in quantum spin chains with long-range interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homrighausen, Ingo; Abeling, Nils O.; Zauner-Stauber, Valentin; Halimeh, Jad C.

2017-09-01

The existence or absence of nonanalytic cusps in the Loschmidt-echo return rate is traditionally employed to distinguish between a regular dynamical phase (regular cusps) and a trivial phase (no cusps) in quantum spin chains after a global quench. However, numerical evidence in a recent study (J. C. Halimeh and V. Zauner-Stauber, arXiv:1610.02019) suggests that instead of the trivial phase, a distinct anomalous dynamical phase characterized by a novel type of nonanalytic cusps occurs in the one-dimensional transverse-field Ising model when interactions are sufficiently long range. Using an analytic semiclassical approach and exact diagonalization, we show that this anomalous phase also arises in the fully connected case of infinite-range interactions, and we discuss its defining signature. Our results show that the transition from the regular to the anomalous dynamical phase coincides with Z2-symmetry breaking in the infinite-time limit, thereby showing a connection between two different concepts of dynamical criticality. Our work further expands the dynamical phase diagram of long-range interacting quantum spin chains, and can be tested experimentally in ion-trap setups and ultracold atoms in optical cavities, where interactions are inherently long range.

Effect of the band structure in a rigorous two-body model with long-range interactions in 1D optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristensen, Tom; Simoni, Andrea; Launay, Jean-Michel

2016-05-01

We compute scattering and bound state properties for two ultracold molecules in a pure 1D optical lattice. We introduce reference functions with complex quasi-momentum that naturally account for the effect of excited energy bands. Our exact results for a short-range interaction are first compared with the simplest version of the standard Bose-Hubbard (BH) model. Such comparison allows us to highlight the effect of the excited bands, of the non-on-site interaction and of tunneling with distant neighbor, that are not taken into account in the BH model. The effective interaction can depend strongly on the particle quasi-momenta and can present a resonant behavior even in a deep lattice. As a second step, we study scattering of two polar particles in the optical lattice. Peculiar Wigner threshold laws stem from the interplay of the long range dipolar interaction and the presence of the energy bands. We finally assess the validity of an extended Bose-Hubbard model for dipolar gases based on our exact two-body calculations. This work was supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (Contract No. ANR-12-BS04-0020-01).

Many-particle theory of nuclear system with application to neutron-star matter and other systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, C. H.

1978-01-01

General problems in nuclear-many-body theory were considered. Superfluid states of neutron star matter and other strongly interacting many-fermion systems were analyzed by using the soft-core potential of Reid. The pion condensation in neutron star matter was also treated.

Quantum Many-Body Dynamics with Driven Bose Condensates: Kibble-Zurek Mechanism and Bose Fireworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Logan William

In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in the field of quantum many-body physics. Understanding the complex and often unintuitive behavior of systems containing interacting quantum constituents is not only fascinating but also crucial for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including better materials, sensors, and computers. Yet understanding such systems remains a challenge, particularly when considering the dynamics which occur when they are excited far from equilibrium. Ultracold atomic gases provide an ideal system with which to study dynamics by enabling clean, well-controlled experiments at length- and time-scales which allow us to observe the dynamics directly. This thesis describes experiments on the many-body dynamics of ultracold, bosonic cesium atoms. Our apparatus epitomizes the versatility of ultracold atoms by providing extensive control over the quantum gas. In particular, we will discuss our use of a digital micromirror device to project arbitrary, dynamic external potentials onto the gas; our development of a powerful new scheme for optically controlling Feshbach resonances to enable spatiotemporal control of the interactions between atoms; and our use of near-resonant shaking lattices to modify the kinetic energy of atoms. Taking advantage of this flexible apparatus, we have been able to test a longstanding conjecture based on the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, which says that the dynamics of a system crossing a quantum phase transition should obey a universal scaling symmetry of space and time. After accounting for this scaling symmetry, critical dynamics would be essentially independent of the rate at which a system crossed a phase transition. We tested the universal scaling of critical dynamics by using near-resonant shaking to drive Bose-Einstein condensates across an effectively ferromagnetic quantum phase transition. After crossing the phase transition, condensates divide themselves spatially into domains with finite quasimomentum. We measured the growth of these domains over time and the correlation functions describing their spatial distribution by directly reconstructing the quasimomentum distribution. We observed the expected scaling laws across more than an order of magnitude in the crossing rate, aside from which the observed critical dynamics were indeed independent of the crossing rate. These experiments provide strong support for the universal scaling symmetry of space and time and the extension of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism to quantum phase transitions. We also present the first observation of Bose Fireworks: the sudden emission of many bright, narrow jets of atoms from condensates with oscillating interaction strength. Even though the underlying inelastic s-wave collisions induced by oscillating interactions are isotropic, the collective nature of collisions in the condensate causes the outgoing bosonic atoms to bunch into narrow jets in the horizontal plane. This bunching results from runaway stimulated collisions, which we find can only occur above a threshold oscillation amplitude. The observed atom number in the jets suggests that they are seeded by quantum fluctuations. Moreover, in azimuthal correlation functions we observe forward correlations consistent with theory, which saturate the limit from the uncertainty principle. We also observe partial correlation between counterpropagating jets. Bose Fireworks provide a well-controlled platform for understanding the diverse class of systems in which a coherent source rapidly emits pairs of counterpropagating bosons.

Superfluidity in the Core of Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Page, Dany

2013-04-01

The year (1958) after the publication of the BCS theory, Bohr, Mottelson & Pines showed that nuclei should also contain superfluid neutrons and superconducting protons. In 1959, A. Migdal proposed that neutron superfluidity should also occur in the interior of neutron stars. Pairing in nuclei forms Cooper pairs with zero spin, but the relevant component of the nuclear interaction becomes repulsive at densities larger than the nuclear matter density. It has been proposed that neutron-neutron interaction in the spin-triplet state, and L=1 orbital angular momentum, that is known to be attractive from laboratory experiments, may result in a new form of neutron superfluidity in the neutron star interior. I will review our present understanding of the structure of neutron stars and describe how superfluidity strongly affects their thermal evolution. I will show how a ``Minimal Model'' that excludes the presence of ``exotic'' matter (Bose condensates, quarks, etc.) is compatible with most observations of the surface temperatures of young isolated neutron stars in the case this neutron superfluid exists. Compared to the case of isotropic spin-zero Cooper pairs, the formation of anisotropic spin-one Cooper pairs results in a strong neutrino emission that leads to an enhanced cooling of neutron stars after the onset of the pairing phase transition and allows the Minimal Cooling scenario to be compatible with most observations. In the case the pairing critical temperature Tc is less than about 6 x10^8 K, the resulting rapid cooling of the neutron star may be observable. It was recently reported that 10 years of Chandra observations of the 333 year young neutron star in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant revealed that its temperature has dropped by about 5%. This result indicates that neutrons in this star are presently becoming superfluid and, if confirmed, provides us with the first direct observational evidence for neutron superfluidity at supra-nuclear densities.

Secondary Neutron Production from Space Radiation Interactions: Advances in Model and Experimental Data Base Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heilbronn, Lawrence H.; Townsend, Lawrence W.; Braley, G. Scott; Iwata, Yoshiyuki; Iwase, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Takashi; Ronningen, Reginald M.; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2003-01-01

For humans engaged in long-duration missions in deep space or near-Earth orbit, the risk from exposure to galactic and solar cosmic rays is an important factor in the design of spacecraft, spacesuits, and planetary bases. As cosmic rays are transported through shielding materials and human tissue components, a secondary radiation field is produced. Neutrons are an important component of that secondary field, especially in thickly-shielded environments. Calculations predict that 50% of the dose-equivalent in a lunar or Martian base comes from neutrons, and a recent workshop held at the Johnson Space Center concluded that as much as 30% of the dose in the International Space Station may come from secondary neutrons. Accelerator facilities provide a means for measuring the effectiveness of various materials in their ability to limit neutron production, using beams and energies that are present in cosmic radiation. The nearly limitless range of beams, energies, and target materials that are present in space, however, means that accelerator-based experiments will not provide a complete database of cross sections and thick-target yields that are necessary to plan and design long-duration missions. As such, accurate nuclear models of neutron production are needed, as well as data sets that can be used to compare with, and verify, the predictions from such models. Improvements in a model of secondary neutron production from heavy-ion interactions are presented here, along with the results from recent accelerator-based measurements of neutron-production cross sections. An analytical knockout-ablation model capable of predicting neutron production from high-energy hadron-hadron interactions (both nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions) has been previously developed. In the knockout stage, the collision between two nuclei result in the emission of one or more nucleons from the projectile and/or target. The resulting projectile and target remnants, referred to as prefragments, then decay by the emission of nucleons, composites, and gamma rays. Recent improvements to the model have incorporated coalescence effects, which effectively tie up single nucleons in the formation of composites during final-state interactions. Comparison of the improved model s predictions with neutron production data near 0 deg in the CA-40+ H reaction at 357 and 565 MeV/nucleon show marked improvement.

Radiation Detection and Classification of Heavy Oxide Inorganic Scintillator Crystals for Detection of Fast Neutrons

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

of these three pillars, yet current detectors for fast neutrons from nuclear weapons materials are bulky, expensive, and have low efficiencies, well...passive fast neutron emissions. Similarly, isotopes present in weapons grade Plutonium (which is predominantly Pu-239), especially Pu-240, are... weapons material, and the propensity of the neutrons resulting from their fission to inelastically scatter, defines the interactions of interest

Production of 14 MeV neutrons by heavy ions

DOEpatents

Brugger, Robert M.; Miller, Lowell G.; Young, Robert C.

1977-01-01

This invention relates to a neutron generator and a method for the production of 14 MeV neutrons. Heavy ions are accelerated to impinge upon a target mixture of deuterium and tritium to produce recoil atoms of deuterium and tritium. These recoil atoms have a sufficient energy such that they interact with other atoms of tritium or deuterium in the target mixture to produce approximately 14 MeV neutrons.

Ion-Induced Afterpulsing in the Neutron Multiplicity Meter's Photomultiplier Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedlik, Christopher; Schnee, Richard; Bunker, Raymond; Chen, Yu; Neutron Multiplicity Meter Collaboration

2013-10-01

The nature of the dark matter in the Universe remains a mystery in modern physics. A leading candidate, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), may be detectable via scattering from nuclear targets in terrestrial detectors, located underground to prevent fake signals from cosmic-ray showers. The Neutron Multiplicity Meter (NMM) is a detector capable of measuring the muon-induced neutron flux deep underground, a problematic background for WIMP detection. The NMM is a 4.4-tonne Gd-loaded water-Cherenkov detector atop a 20-kilotonne lead target in the Soudan Mine. It measures high-energy neutrons (>50 MeV) by moderating and then detecting (via Gd capture gammas) the secondary neutrons emerging from the lead following a high-energy neutron interaction. The short time scale (~10 μs) for neutron capture in Gd-loaded water enables a custom multiplicity trigger to discriminate against the dominant gamma-ray background. Despite excellent rejection of the gamma-ray-induced background, NMM neutron-candidate events are not entirely background-free. One type of background is from ion-induced afterpulsing (AP) in the four 20'' Hamamatsu R7250 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) used to monitor the NMM's two water tanks. We show that ion-induced AP in the PMTs can mimic the NMM's low-energy neutron response, potentially biasing a candidate event's measured multiplicity. We present detailed studies of the AP in order to allow identification of AP-induced background events.

Gadolinium-loaded Plastic Scintillators for Thermal Neutron Detection using Compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumazert, Jonathan; Coulon, Romain; Hamel, Matthieu; Carrel, Frédérick; Sguerra, Fabien; Normand, Stéphane; Méchin, Laurence; Bertrand, Guillaume H. V.

2016-06-01

Plastic scintillator loading with gadolinium-rich organometallic complexes shows a high potential for the deployment of efficient and cost-effective neutron detectors. Due to the low-energy photon and electron signature of thermal neutron capture by Gd-155 and Gd-157, alternative treatment to pulse-shape discrimination has to be proposed in order to display a count rate. This paper discloses the principle of a compensation method applied to a two-scintillator system: a detection scintillator interacts with photon and fast neutron radiation and is loaded with gadolinium organometallic compound to become a thermal neutron absorber, while a not-gadolinium loaded compensation scintillator solely interacts with the fast neutron and photon part of incident radiation. After the nonlinear smoothing of the counting signals, a hypothesis test determines whether the resulting count rate post-background response compensation falls into statistical fluctuations or provides a robust indication of neutron activity. Laboratory samples are tested under both photon and neutron irradiations, allowing the authors to investigate the performance of the overall detection system in terms of sensitivity and detection limits, especially with regards to a similar-active volume He-3 based commercial counter. The study reveals satisfactory figures of merit in terms of sensitivity and directs future investigation toward promising paths.

Universes without the weak force: Astrophysical processes with stable neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grohs, E.; Howe, Alex R.; Adams, Fred C.

2018-02-01

We investigate a class of universes in which the weak interaction is not in operation. We consider how astrophysical processes are altered in the absence of weak forces, including big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), galaxy formation, molecular cloud assembly, star formation, and stellar evolution. Without weak interactions, neutrons no longer decay, and the universe emerges from its early epochs with a mixture of protons, neutrons, deuterium, and helium. The baryon-to-photon ratio must be smaller than the canonical value in our Universe to allow free nucleons to survive the BBN epoch without being incorporated into heavier nuclei. At later times, the free neutrons readily combine with protons to make deuterium in sufficiently dense parts of the interstellar medium, and provide a power source before they are incorporated into stars. Almost all of the neutrons are incorporated into deuterium nuclei before stars are formed. As a result, stellar evolution proceeds primarily through strong interactions, with deuterium first burning into helium, and then helium fusing into carbon. Low-mass deuterium-burning stars can be long-lived, and higher-mass stars can synthesize the heavier elements necessary for life. Although somewhat different from our own, such universes remain potentially habitable.

Simulation of the neutron response matrix of an EJ309 liquid scintillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Huaiyong; Wang, Zhimin; Zhang, Luyu; Jiang, Haoyu; Lu, Yi; Chen, Jinxiang; Zhang, Guohui

2018-04-01

The neutron response matrix is the basis for measuring the neutron energy spectrum through unfolding the pulse height spectrum detected with a liquid scintillator. Based on the light output of the EJ309 liquid scintillator and the related reaction cross sections, a Monte Carlo code is developed to obtain the neutron response matrix. The effects of the related reactions, the contributions of different number of neutron interactions and the wall effect of the recoil proton are discussed. With the obtained neutron response matrix and the GRAVEL iterative unfolding method, the neutron energy spectra of the 252Cf and the 241AmBe neutron sources are measured, and the results are respectively compared with the theoretical prediction of the 252Cf neutron energy spectrum and the previous results of the 241AmBe neutron energy spectra.

Non-equilibrium dynamics of artificial quantum matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babadi, Mehrtash

The rapid progress of the field of ultracold atoms during the past two decades has set new milestones in our control over matter. By cooling dilute atomic gases and molecules to nano-Kelvin temperatures, novel quantum mechanical states of matter can be realized and studied on a table-top experimental setup while bulk matter can be tailored to faithfully simulate abstract theoretical models. Two of such models which have witnessed significant experimental and theoretical attention are (1) the two-component Fermi gas with resonant s-wave interactions, and (2) the single-component Fermi gas with dipole-dipole interactions. This thesis is devoted to studying the non-equilibrium collective dynamics of these systems using the general framework of quantum kinetic theory. We present a concise review of the utilized mathematical methods in the first two chapters, including the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism of non-equilibrium quantum fields, two-particle irreducible (2PI) effective actions and the framework of quantum kinetic theory. We study the collective dynamics of the dipolar Fermi gas in a quasi-two-dimensional optical trap in chapter 3 and provide a detailed account of its dynamical crossover from the collisionless to the hydrodynamical regime. Chapter 4 is devoted to studying the dynamics of the attractive Fermi gas in the normal phase. Starting from the self-consistent T-matrix (pairing fluctuation) approximation, we systematically derive a set of quantum kinetic equations and show that they provide a globally valid description of the dynamics of the attractive Fermi gas, ranging from the weak-coupling Fermi liquid phase to the intermediate non-Fermi liquid pairing pseudogap regime and finally the strong-coupling Bose liquid phase. The shortcomings of the self-consistent T-matrix approximation in two spatial dimensions are discussed along with a proposal to overcome its unphysical behaviors. The developed kinetic formalism is finally utilized to reproduce and interpret the findings of a recent experiment done on the collective dynamics of trapped two-dimensional ultracold gases.

Color superfluidity of neutral ultracold fermions in the presence of color-flip and color-orbit fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurkcuoglu, Doga Murat; Sá de Melo, C. A. R.

2018-02-01

We describe how color superfluidity is modified in the presence of color-flip and color-orbit fields in the context of ultracold atoms and discuss connections between this problem and that of color superconductivity in quantum chromodynamics. We study the case of s -wave contact interactions between different colors and we identify several superfluid phases, with five being nodal and one being fully gapped. When our system is described in a mixed-color basis, the superfluid order parameter tensor is characterized by six independent components with explicit momentum dependence induced by color-orbit coupling. The nodal superfluid phases are topological in nature and the low-temperature phase diagram of the color-flip field versus the interaction parameter exhibits a pentacritical point, where all five nodal color superfluid phases converge. These results are in sharp contrast to the case of zero color-flip and color-orbit fields, where the system has perfect U(3) symmetry and possesses a superfluid phase that is characterized by fully gapped quasiparticle excitations with a single complex order parameter with no momentum dependence and by inert unpaired fermions representing a nonsuperfluid component. In the latter case, just a crossover between a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer and a Bose-Einstein-condensation superfluid occurs. Furthermore, we analyze the order parameter tensor in a total pseudospin basis, investigate its momentum dependence in the singlet, triplet, and quintet sectors, and compare the results with the simpler case of spin-1/2 fermions in the presence of spin-flip and spin-orbit fields, where only singlet and triplet channels arise. Finally, we analyze in detail spectroscopic properties of color superfluids in the presence of color-flip and color-orbit fields, such as the quasiparticle excitation spectrum, momentum distribution, and density of states to help characterize all the encountered topological quantum phases, which can be realized in fermionic isotopes of lithium, potassium, and ytterbium atoms with three internal states trapped.

Compensated gadolinium-loaded plastic scintillators for thermal neutron detection (and counting)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dumazert, Jonathan; Coulon, Romain; Bertrand, Guillaume H. V.

2015-07-01

Plastic scintillator loading with gadolinium-rich organometallic complexes shows a high potential for the deployment of efficient and cost-effective neutron detectors. Due to the low-energy photon and electron signature of thermal neutron capture by gadolinium-155 and gadolinium-157, alternative treatment to Pulse Shape Discrimination has to be proposed in order to display a trustable count rate. This paper discloses the principle of a compensation method applied to a two-scintillator system: a detection scintillator interacts with photon radiation and is loaded with gadolinium organometallic compound to become a thermal neutron absorber, while a non-gadolinium loaded compensation scintillator solely interacts with the photon partmore » of the incident radiation. Posterior to the nonlinear smoothing of the counting signals, a hypothesis test determines whether the resulting count rate after photon response compensation falls into statistical fluctuations or provides a robust image of a neutron activity. A laboratory prototype is tested under both photon and neutron irradiations, allowing us to investigate the performance of the overall compensation system in terms of neutron detection, especially with regards to a commercial helium-3 counter. The study reveals satisfactory results in terms of sensitivity and orientates future investigation toward promising axes. (authors)« less

Electromagnetic theory of the nuclear interaction. Application to the deuteron {sup 2}H

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schaeffer, Bernard

2012-06-20

Bieler of the Rutherford laboratory imagined in 1924 a magnetic attraction equilibrating an electrostatic repulsion between the protons. Since the discovery of the neutron and the magnetic moments of the nucleons proving that the neutron contains electric charges, nobody, as far as I know, has tried to apply electromagnetism to the nuclear interaction. The electrostatic and magnetic interactions are completely neglected except for a mean Coulomb repulsion. As it is well known, there is an attraction between an electric charge and a neutral conductor. In the neutron, the positive charges are repelled and the negative charges attracted by a nearbymore » proton. There is a net attraction explaining quantitatively the so-called strong force as it is shown in this paper. In the deuteron, the magnetic repulsion equilibrates the electrostatically induced neutron-proton attraction. The experimental value (- 2.2 MeV) is surrounded by - 1.6 MeV and - 2.5 MeV, depending on the calculation method. No arbitrary fitting parameter is used, only physical constants: it is a true ab initio calculation. The theoretical ratio between nuclear and chemical energies has been found to be (m{sub p}/m{sub e}{alpha}), proving that the usual assumption that the electromagnetic interaction is too feeble to predict the nuclear interaction is incorrect.« less

Mixed crystal organic scintillators

DOEpatents

Zaitseva, Natalia P; Carman, M Leslie; Glenn, Andrew M; Hamel, Sebastien; Hatarik, Robert; Payne, Stephen A; Stoeffl, Wolfgang

2014-09-16

A mixed organic crystal according to one embodiment includes a single mixed crystal having two compounds with different bandgap energies, the organic crystal having a physical property of exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source, wherein the signal response signature does not include a significantly-delayed luminescence characteristic of neutrons interacting with the organic crystal relative to a luminescence characteristic of gamma rays interacting with the organic crystal. According to one embodiment, an organic crystal includes bibenzyl and stilbene or a stilbene derivative, the organic crystal having a physical property of exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source.

Strangeness driven phase transitions in compressed baryonic matter and their relevance for neutron stars and core collapsing supernovae

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raduta, Ad. R.; Gulminelli, F.; Oertel, M.

2015-02-24

We discuss the thermodynamics of compressed baryonic matter with strangeness within non-relativistic mean-field models with effective interactions. The phase diagram of the full baryonic octet under strangeness equilibrium is built and discussed in connection with its relevance for core-collapse supernovae and neutron stars. A simplified framework corresponding to (n, p, Λ)(+e)-mixtures is employed in order to test the sensitivity of the existence of a phase transition on the (poorely constrained) interaction coupling constants and the compatibility between important hyperonic abundances and 2M{sub ⊙} neutron stars.

A new method for detection of distant supernova neutrino bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cline, D.; Fenyves, E.; Foshe, T.; Fuller, G.; Meyer, B.; Wilson, J.

1990-03-01

The feasibility of astrophysical neutrino detectors is studied, which is based on the detection of neutrons produced in neutrino-nucleus inelastic scattering events. Collective nuclear effects greatly enhancing the relevant interaction cross sections over those of single particle interactions are discussed. These effects can help to reduce the mass required for neutrino detectors. An example of a simple detector based on CaCO3 neutrino targets and BF3 neutron counters is presented. Neutron background limitations are discussed and the possibility of forming a coincidence between neutrino detectors and future gravity wave detectors is also considered.

Low Temperature and Neutron Physics Studies: Final Progress Report, March 1, 1986--May 31, 1987

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Shull, C.G.

1989-07-27

A search for a novel coupling interaction between the Pendelloesung periodicity which is formed in a diffracting crystal and the Larmor precession of neutrons in a magnetic field has been carried out. This interaction is expected to exhibit a resonant behavior when the two spatial periodicities become matched upon scanning the magnetic field being applied to the crystal. Observations on a diffracting, perfect crystal of silicon with neutrons of wavelength 1 Angstrom show the expected resonant action but some discrepancy between the observed magnitude of the resonance effects remains for interpretation.

Apparatus and method for identification of matrix materials in which transuranic elements are embedded using thermal neutron capture gamma-ray emission

DOEpatents

Close, D.A.; Franks, L.A.; Kocimski, S.M.

1984-08-16

An invention is described that enables the quantitative simultaneous identification of the matrix materials in which fertile and fissile nuclides are embedded to be made along with the quantitative assay of the fertile and fissile materials. The invention also enables corrections for any absorption of neutrons by the matrix materials and by the measurement apparatus by the measurement of the prompt and delayed neutron flux emerging from a sample after the sample is interrogated by simultaneously applied neutrons and gamma radiation. High energy electrons are directed at a first target to produce gamma radiation. A second target receives the resulting pulsed gamma radiation and produces neutrons from the interaction with the gamma radiation. These neutrons are slowed by a moderator surrounding the sample and bathe the sample uniformly, generating second gamma radiation in the interaction. The gamma radiation is then resolved and quantitatively detected, providing a spectroscopic signature of the constituent elements contained in the matrix and in the materials within the vicinity of the sample. (LEW)

SU-E-T-90: Accuracy of Calibration of Lithium-6 and -7 Enriched LiF TLDs for Neutron Measurements in High Energy Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keehan, S; Franich, R; Taylor, M

Purpose: To determine the potential error involved in the interpretation of neutron measurements from medical linear accelerators (linacs) using TLD-600H and TLD-700H if standard AmBe and {sup 252}Cf neutron sources are used for calibration without proper inclusion of neutron energy spectrum information. Methods: The Kerma due to neutrons can be calculated from the energy released by various nuclear interactions (elastic and inelastic scatter, (n,α), (n,p), (n,d), (n,t), (n,2n), etc.). The response of each TLD can be considered the sum of the neutron and gamma components; each proportional to the Kerma. Using the difference between the measured TLD responses and themore » ratio of the calculated Kerma for each material, the neutron component of the response can be calculated. The Monte Carlo code MCNP6 has been used to calculate the neutron energy spectra resulting from photonuclear interactions in a Varian 21EX linac. TLDs have been exposed to the mixed (γ-n) field produced by a linac and AmBe and {sup 252}Cf standard neutron sources. Results: For dosimetry of neutrons from AmBe or {sup 252}Cf sources, assuming TLD-700H insensitivity to neutrons will Result in 10% or 20% overestimation of neutron doses respectively.For dosimetry of neutrons produced in a Varian 21EX, applying a calibration factor derived from a standard AmBe or {sup 252}Cf source will Result in an overestimation of neutron fluence, by as much as a factor of 47.The assumption of TLD-700H insensitivity to neutrons produced by linacs leads to a negligible error due to the extremely high Kerma ratio (600H/700H) of 3000 for the assumed neutron spectrum. Conclusion: Lithium-enriched TLDs calibrated with AmBe and/or {sup 252}Cf neutron sources are not accurate for use under the neutron energy spectrum produced by a medical linear accelerator.« less

Search for a Neutron Electric Dipole Moment

PubMed Central

Golub, R.; Huffman, P. R.

2005-01-01

The possible existence of a nonzero electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron is of great fundamental interest in itself and directly impacts our understanding of the nature of electro-weak and strong interactions. The experimental search for this moment has the potential to reveal new sources of T and CP violation and to challenge calculations that propose extensions to the Standard Model. The goal of the current experiment is to significantly improve the measurement sensitivity to the neutron EDM over what is reported in the literature. The experiment has the potential to either measure the magnitude of the neutron EDM or to lower the current experimental limit by two orders of magnitude. Achieving these objectives will have a major impact on our understanding of the physics of both weak and strong interactions. PMID:27308116

Fissile interrogation using gamma rays from oxygen

DOEpatents

Smith, Donald; Micklich, Bradley J.; Fessler, Andreas

2004-04-20

The subject apparatus provides a means to identify the presence of fissionable material or other nuclear material contained within an item to be tested. The system employs a portable accelerator to accelerate and direct protons to a fluorine-compound target. The interaction of the protons with the fluorine-compound target produces gamma rays which are directed at the item to be tested. If the item to be tested contains either a fissionable material or other nuclear material the interaction of the gamma rays with the material contained within the test item with result in the production of neutrons. A system of neutron detectors is positioned to intercept any neutrons generated by the test item. The results from the neutron detectors are analyzed to determine the presence of a fissionable material or other nuclear material.

Fast-Neutron Activation of Long-Lived Isotopes in Enriched Ge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Steven R.; Guiseppe, Vincente; LaRoque, B. H.

2010-11-16

We measured the production of 57Co, 54Mn, 68Ge, 65Zn, and 60Co in an sample of Ge enriched in isotope 76 due to high-energy neutron interactions. These isotopes are critical in understanding background in Ge detectors used for double-beta decay experiments. These isotopes are produced by cosmogenic-neutron interactions in the detectors while they reside on the Earth's surface. We compared the measured production to that predicted by cross-section calculations based on CEM03.02. The cross section calculations over-predict our measurements by approximately a factor of 2-3 depending on isotope. We then use the measured cosmic-ray neutron ux and our results to predictmore » the cosmogenic production rate with an accuracy near 15%.« less

Search for deviations from the inverse square law of gravity at nm range using a pulsed neutron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddock, Christopher C.; Oi, Noriko; Hirota, Katsuya; Ino, Takashi; Kitaguchi, Masaaki; Matsumoto, Satoru; Mishima, Kenji; Shima, Tatsushi; Shimizu, Hirohiko M.; Snow, W. Michael; Yoshioka, Tamaki

2018-03-01

We describe an experimental search for deviations from the inverse-square law of gravity at the nanometer length scale using neutron scattering from noble gases on a pulsed slow neutron beam line. By measuring the neutron momentum transfer (q ) dependence of the differential cross section for xenon and helium and comparing to their well-known analytical forms, we place an upper bound on the strength of a new interaction as a function of interaction length λ which improves upon previous results in the region λ <0.1 nm , and remains competitive in the larger-λ region. A pseudoexperimental simulation is developed for this experiment and its role in the data analysis is described. We conclude with plans for improving sensitivity in the larger-λ region.