Quantum simulations with ultra-cold atoms

Wedge, Symran (2025). Quantum simulations with ultra-cold atoms. University of Birmingham. M.Sc.

Preview

Wedge2025MScByRes.pdf
Text - Accepted Version
Available under License All rights reserved.
Download (8MB) | Preview

Abstract

This experiment has focused on using optical potentials produced by a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) to simulate Fermi-Acceleration on ultra-cold atoms. Fermi Acceleration is a mechanism which explains how high energy cosmic rays gain non-thermal energies and is of importance in astrophysical events such as supernovas. In the experiment, ultra cold atoms are produced in an elongated 3D harmonic trap to create a thermal cloud. The cloud of atoms are loaded in a optical lattice potential which drives the cloud towards a barrier, where the atoms get reflected. This is analogous to Fermi-Acceleration where particles interact with shock waves in different astrophysical environments. In this report it is observed how the effect of changing the driving frequency (\omega), wavenumber (\phi), amplitude (A) and trapping frequency of the potential on both the optical lattice velocity (v_i) and reflection velocity (v_r) of the cloud of atoms. The experimental results effectively demonstrates that the cold atom set-up is a valid analogy of Fermi-Acceleration since the results display that the optical lattice velocity as well as the reflection velocity follow the theoretical predictions across the parameter changes in the specific regimes. This study has shown that a cold atom set-up can be used as an effective way of modelling Fermi-Acceleration experimentally. It highlights the importance of cold atom experiments for studying wider physics phenomena and, in the case of Fermi-Acceleration, experimental verification of the Bell's Power Law distribution has never been carried out experimentally to date. The validity for cold atom experiments to model this effect means the law can now be experimentally verified.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Sc.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Sc.

Supervisor(s):