Manipulation of ultracold atomic gases with spatially and temporally controlled optical potentials

Easton, Thomas George ORCID: 0000-0002-4069-9085 (2024). Manipulation of ultracold atomic gases with spatially and temporally controlled optical potentials. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis focusses on the use of a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to produce spatially and temporally varying optical potentials for the manipulation of ultracold atoms. I discuss the apparatus used to generate ultracold atomic samples as well as that used to manipulate them, including a comparison of the various light sources used with the DMD. Here I demonstrate the advantages in image quality that can be achieved using a superluminescent diode. I also report on work which uses the capability to produce spatially and temporally controlled potentials to engineer a synthetic dimension of harmonic oscillator sites, forming a lattice consisting of 10s of lattice sites on which Bloch Oscillations are demonstrated. Finally I describe simulations which demonstrate the clustering behaviour of quantised vortices in a Bose-Einstein condensate when arranged in linear structures, as could be done by the method of phase imprinting using a DMD. I demonstrate the use of a cluster detection algorithm which is novel in the field of quantised vortices, and show that in many cases, vortex clusters can be modelled by methods similar to those used for single vortices.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):