Title | Quantum simulation of ultrafast dynamics using trapped ultracold atoms |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2018 |
Authors | Senaratne R, Rajagopal SV, Shimasaki T, Dotti PE, Fujiwara KM, Singh K, Geiger ZA, Weld DM |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 9 |
Pagination | 2065 |
ISBN Number | 2041-1723 |
Abstract | Ultrafast electronic dynamics are typically studied using pulsed lasers. Here we demonstrate a complementary experimental approach: quantum simulation of ultrafast dynamics using trapped ultracold atoms. Counter-intuitively, this technique emulates some of the fastest processes in atomic physics with some of the slowest, leading to a temporal magnification factor of up to 12 orders of magnitude. In these experiments, time-varying forces on neutral atoms in the ground state of a tunable optical trap emulate the electric fields of a pulsed laser acting on bound charged particles. We demonstrate the correspondence with ultrafast science by a sequence of experiments: nonlinear spectroscopy of a many-body bound state, control of the excitation spectrum by potential shaping, observation of sub-cycle unbinding dynamics during strong few-cycle pulses, and direct measurement of carrier-envelope phase dependence of the response to an ultrafast-equivalent pulse. These results establish cold-atom quantum simulation as a complementary tool for studying ultrafast dynamics. |
DOI | 10.1038/s41467-018-04556-3 |