High-sensitivity operation of an unshielded single cell radio-frequency atomic magnetometer.

Real-world applications of atomic magnetometers require the ability to operate them with high-sensitivity in the presence of magnetic noise. In the present work, high-sensitivity operation of unshielded atomic magnetometers in a magnetically noisy environment is demonstrated. The distinguishing feature of the demonstrated approach is the implementation of active in-situ bias field stabilization using multiple fluxgate magnetometers. This is combined with the use of a counter-propagating pump and triple-pass probe configuration, to maximize the atomic polarization and the probe rotation respectively, so to reach high-sensitivity. The improvement in sensitivity of the unshielded system with respect to previous realizations is fully characterized, with the contributions of the different modifications of the apparatus individually quantified. The presented set-up is suitable for the detection of long-range magnetic fields, where shielding or differential measurements using multi-sensor set-ups do not constitute viable options.

Vibrational mechanics in an optical lattice: controlling transport via potential renormalization.

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the phenomenon of vibrational resonance in a periodic potential, using cold atoms in an optical lattice as a model system. A high-frequency (HF) drive, with a frequency much larger than any characteristic frequency of the system, is applied by phase modulating one of the lattice beams. We show that the HF drive leads to the renormalization of the potential. We used transport measurements as a probe of the potential renormalization. The very same experiments also demonstrate that transport can be controlled by the HF drive via potential renormalization.

Current reversals in a rocking ratchet: the frequency domain.

Motivated by recent work [D. Cubero et al., Phys. Rev. E 82, 041116 (2010)], we examine the mechanisms which determine current reversals in rocking ratchets as observed when varying the frequency of the drive. We found that a class of these current reversals in the frequency domain is precisely determined by dissipation-induced symmetry breaking. Our experimental and theoretical work thus extends and generalizes the previously identified relationship between dynamical and symmetry-breaking mechanisms in the generation of current reversals.

Current reversals in a rocking ratchet: dynamical versus symmetry-breaking mechanisms.

Directed transport in ratchets is determined by symmetry breaking in a system out of equilibrium. A hallmark of rocking ratchets is current reversals: an increase in the rocking force changes the direction of the current. In this work for a biharmonically driven spatially symmetric rocking ratchet we show that a class of current reversal is precisely determined by symmetry breaking, thus creating a link between dynamical and symmetry-breaking mechanisms.

Gating ratchet for cold atoms.

We demonstrate experimentally a gating ratchet with cold rubidium atoms in a driven near-resonant optical lattice. A single-harmonic periodic modulation of the optical potential depth is applied, together with a single-harmonic rocking force. Directed motion is observed as a result of the breaking of the symmetries of the system.

Quasiperiodically driven ratchets for cold atoms.

We investigate experimentally the route to quasiperiodicity in a driven ratchet for cold atoms and examine the relationship between symmetries and transport while approaching the quasiperiodic limit. Depending on the specific form of driving, quasiperiodicity results in the complete suppression of transport, or in the restoration of the symmetries which hold for a periodic driving.

Tunable Tsallis distributions in dissipative optical lattices.

We demonstrated experimentally that the momentum distribution of cold atoms in dissipative optical lattices is a Tsallis distribution. The parameters of the distribution can be continuously varied by changing the parameters of the optical potential. In particular, by changing the depth of the optical lattice, it is possible to change the momentum distribution from Gaussian, at deep potentials, to a power-law tail distribution at shallow optical potentials.

Dissipation-induced symmetry breaking in a driven optical lattice.

We analyze the atomic dynamics in an ac driven periodic optical potential which is symmetric in both time and space. We experimentally demonstrate that in the presence of dissipation the symmetry is broken, and a current of atoms through the optical lattice is generated as a result.

Resonant activation in a nonadiabatically driven optical lattice.

We demonstrate the phenomenon of resonant activation in a nonadiabatically driven dissipative optical lattice with broken time symmetry. The resonant activation results in a resonance as a function of the driving frequency in the current of atoms through the periodic potential. We demonstrate that the resonance is produced by the interplay between deterministic driving and fluctuations, and we also show that by changing the frequency of the driving it is possible to control the direction of the diffusion.

Rectifying fluctuations in an optical lattice.

We have realized a Brownian motor by using cold atoms in a dissipative optical lattice as a model system. In our experiment the optical potential is spatially symmetric and the time symmetry of the system is broken by applying appropriate zero-mean ac forces. We identify a regime of rectification of forces and a regime of rectification of fluctuations, the latter corresponding to the realization of a Brownian motor.

Phase control of directed diffusion in a symmetric optical lattice.

We demonstrate the phenomenon of directed diffusion in a symmetric periodic potential. This has been realized with cold atoms in a one-dimensional dissipative optical lattice. The stochastic process of optical pumping leads to a diffusive dynamics of the atoms through the periodic structure, while a zero-mean force which breaks the temporal symmetry of the system is applied by phase modulating one of the lattice beams. The atoms are set into directed motion as a result of the breaking of the temporal symmetry of the system.

Rayleigh scattering and atomic dynamics in dissipative optical lattices.

We investigate Rayleigh scattering in dissipative optical lattices. In particular, following recent proposals [S. Guibal, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4709 (1997)]; C. Jurczak, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1727 (1996)]], we study whether the Rayleigh resonance originates from the diffraction on a density grating and is therefore a probe of transport of atoms in optical lattices. It turns out that this is not the case: the Rayleigh line is instead a measure of the cooling rate, while spatial diffusion contributes to the scattering spectrum with a much broader resonance.

Brillouin propagation modes in optical lattices: interpretation in terms of nonconventional stochastic resonance.

We report the first direct observation of Brillouin-like propagation modes in a dissipative periodic optical lattice. This has been done by observing a resonant behavior of the spatial diffusion coefficient in the direction corresponding to the propagation mode with the phase velocity of the moving intensity modulation used to excite these propagation modes. Furthermore, we show theoretically that the amplitude of the Brillouin mode is a nonmonotonic function of the strength of the noise corresponding to the optical pumping, and discuss this behavior in terms of nonconventional stochastic resonance.

Current switch by coherent trapping of electrons in quantum dots.

We propose a new transport mechanism through tunnel-coupled quantum dots based on the coherent population trapping effect. Coupling to an excited level by the coherent radiation of two microwaves can lead to an extremely narrow current antiresonance. The effect can be used to determine interdot dephasing rates and is a mechanism for a very sensitive, optically controlled current switch.