Monika Schleier-Smith PhD dance

"Generating Entanglement in a Cold Atomic Ensemble via Atom-Light Interaction in an Optical Resonator"
MIT, 2010 (expected)

I present here a dance in two movements portraying (I) the laser cooling of an ensemble of rubidium atoms in a magneto-optical trap and (II) their entanglement via collective interaction with a light pulse in an optical resonator.
(I) "It's a cold, cold night" for the rubidium atoms when they find themselves between two counter-propagating laser beams tuned slightly below the atomic resonance frequency ("red-detuned"). For an atom moving towards one of the laser beams, the Doppler effect shifts the frequency of that beam closer to resonance, with the result that each atom tends to absorb those photons that push against it to slow it down. In addition, a magnetic field ensures that the atoms tend to be pushed toward center stage. Thus, the atoms are cooled to less than a thousandth of a degree above absolute zero and trapped.
(II) The second movement is set in an optical resonator, the cold atoms having been positioned between two mirrors which pass a laser pulse back and forth many times to enhance the atom-light interaction. The opening line, "I know that you feel it, too," is a reference to this pulse of light, felt equally by all the atoms. The collective interaction of the atoms with the light leaves the atomic ensemble in an entangled state, in which it is impossible to describe the state of a particular atom without reference to the states of the others. From now on, the fates of the atoms--like the arms of the dancers--are inextricably linked.

Dramatis Personae
Indistinguishable Atoms: X. Robert Bao, Brett Bethke, Jennifer Roberts, Yi (Joey) Zhou
Photons: Michael Baym, Monika Schleier-Smith

Performed at the Hertz Foundation Fellowship retreat
Harvard Forest museum, 15 November 2008

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Hertz
• PhD
• science
• dance
• AAAS
• gonzo
• scientist

[PCX339]

That was actually suprisingly illuminative on the the laser cooling process. (pun accidental). I feel like I understand laser cooling more now. Seeing the condensate represented as the atoms joining arms and kicking made me laugh.

[tinawin2998]

no comment....