Matter wave scattering on an amplitude-modulated optical lattice

Pierrick Cheiney (1, 2) , Charlotte Fabre (1, 2) , François Vermersch (1, 2) , Giovanni Luca Gattobigio (2, 1) , Renaud Mathevet (1, 2) , Thierry Lahaye (1, 2) , David Guéry-Odelin (1, 2)

1 Atomes Froids (LCAR)
2 LCAR - Laboratoire Collisions Agrégats Réactivité

We experimentally study the scattering of guided matter waves on an amplitude-modulated optical lattice. We observe different types of frequency-dependent dips in the asymptotic output density distribution. Their positions are compared quantitatively with numerical simulations. A semiclassical model that combines \emph{local} Floquet-Bloch bands analysis and Landau-Zener transitions provides a simple picture of the observed phenomena in terms of elementary \emph{Floquet photon} absorption-emission processes and envelope induced reflections. Finally, we propose and demonstrate the use of this technique with a bichromatic modulation to design a tunable sub-recoil velocity filter.

Domaines: Autre [cond-mat.other]; Physique Quantique [quant-ph]; Gaz Quantiques [cond-mat.quant-gas]

Pierrick Cheiney, Charlotte Fabre, François Vermersch, Giovanni Luca Gattobigio, Renaud Mathevet, et al.. Matter wave scattering on an amplitude-modulated optical lattice. 2012. ⟨hal-00708994v1⟩