Coherent light/atom interaction. Mechanical effects: radiation pressure and optical dipole force. Laser cooling: theory and experimental schemes. Magnetic and optical trapping. Ultracold collisions. Atomic quantum gases: Bose-Einstein condensation and ultracold Fermi gases. Optical lattices. Quantum simulation and quantum information. Atomic clocks and high-precision spectroscopy. Atom interferometry. Experiments with trapped ions.
M. Inguscio & L. Fallani, Atomic Physics: Precise Measurements and Ultracold Matter (Oxford University Press, 2013)
H. J. Metcalf & P. van der Straten, Laser Cooling and Trapping (Springer, 1999)
C. Cohen-Tannoudji & D. Gu ery-Odelin, Advances in Atomic Physics: An Overview (World Scienti c, 2011)
C. Foot, Atomic Physics (Oxford University Press, 2005)
Learning Objectives
The course will introduce the student to the most recent research topics in Atomic Physics concerning laser cooling and trapping of atoms. The student will learn the physics at the basis of the most used experimental techniques, and will learn how these techniques can be used for studies of both fundamental and applied Physics.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of atomic structures and coherent light-atom interaction is required. We suggest the prior attendance of the course "Atomi, Molecole e Fotoni" ("Atoms, Molecules and Photons").
Teaching Methods
Frontal lectures
Type of Assessment
Oral exam
Course program
Review of atomic structures: alkali atoms (fine and hyperfine structure) and two-electron atoms (exchange interaction, intercombination transitions).
Review of coherent atom-radiation interaction: two-level-system approximation, Rabi dynamics, spontaneous emission.
Radiative forces: introduction, full demonstration, dissipative force, fluctuations of dissipative force, dipole force and potential.
Laser cooling: Zeeman slower, optical molasses (Doppler cooling), subDoppler cooling, subrecoil cooling, cooling in multilevel atoms.
Atom trapping: magneto-optical traps, magnetic traps, optical dipole traps.
Ultracold collisions: interaction potentials, scattering theory, scattering from square potential barrier and well, role of bound states, mass scaling, Feshbach resonances, evaporative cooling, inelastic collisions.
Quantum gases: introduction, Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in harmonic traps, imaging techniques, introduction to Gross-Pitaevskii equation, BEC coherence and superfluidity, sympathetic cooling, ideal Fermi gas, introduction to fermionic superfluidity.
Optical lattices: energy bands, transport in optical lattices, Bloch oscillations, quantum simulation, conductor-insulator quantum phase transitions (Anderson, Mott).
Atomic clocks: microwave clocks, optical clocks, frequency comb, Lamb-Dicke spectroscopy, optical lattice clocks.
Atom interferometry: introduction to the most common experimental schemes.
Trapped ions: electrodynamic traps, experiments with trapped ions.