Vincent Barbé

Bio: Vincent Barbé is an academic researcher from University of Amsterdam. The author has contributed to research in topics: Atom & Spectroscopy. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 4 publications receiving 103 citations.

Observation of Feshbach resonances between alkali and closed-shell atoms

Abstract: Magnetic Feshbach resonances allow control of the interactions between ultracold atoms1. They are an invaluable tool in studies of few-body and many-body physics2,3, and can be used to convert pairs of atoms into molecules4,5 by ramping an applied magnetic field across a resonance. Molecules formed from pairs of alkali atoms have been transferred to low-lying states, producing dipolar quantum gases6. There is great interest in making molecules formed from an alkali atom and a closed-shell atom such as ground-state Sr or Yb. Such molecules have both a strong electric dipole and an electron spin; they will open up new possibilities for designing quantum many-body systems7,8, and for tests of fundamental symmetries9. The crucial first step is to observe Feshbach resonances in the corresponding atomic mixtures. Very narrow resonances have been predicted theoretically10,11,12, but until now have eluded observation. Here we present the observation of magnetic Feshbach resonances of this type, for an alkali atom, Rb, interacting with ground-state Sr. Magnetically tunable scattering resonances between strontium and rubidium atoms are observed in an ultracold experiment, opening the door to exploring quantum many-body physics with new designed molecules.

The RbSr 2Σ+ ground state investigated via spectroscopy of hot and ultracold molecules.

Abstract: We report on spectroscopic studies of hot and ultracold RbSr molecules, and combine the results in an analysis that allows us to fit a potential energy curve (PEC) for the X(1)2Σ+ ground state bridging the short-to-long-range domains. The ultracold RbSr molecules are created in a μK sample of Rb and Sr atoms and probed by two-colour photoassociation spectroscopy. The data yield the long-range dispersion coefficients C6 and C8, along with the total number of supported bound levels. The hot RbSr molecules are created in a 1000 K gas mixture of Rb and Sr in a heat-pipe oven and probed by thermoluminescence and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. We compare the hot molecule data with spectra we simulated using previously published PECs determined by three different ab initio theoretical methods. We identify several band heads corresponding to radiative decay from the B(2)2Σ+ state to the deepest bound levels of X(1)2Σ+. We determine a mass-scaled high-precision model for X(1)2Σ+ by fitting all data using a single fit procedure. The corresponding PEC is consistent with all data, thus spanning short-to-long internuclear distances and bridging an energy gap of about 75% of the potential well depth, still uncharted by any experiment. We benchmark previous ab initio PECs against our results, and give the PEC fit parameters for both X(1)2Σ+ and B(2)2Σ+ states. As first outcomes of our analysis, we calculate the s-wave scattering properties for all stable isotopic combinations and corroborate the locations of Fano–Feshbach resonances between alkali Rb and closed-shell Sr atoms recently observed [V. Barbe et al., Nat. Phys., 2018, 14, 881]. These results and more generally our strategy should greatly contribute to the generation of ultracold alkali–alkaline-earth dimers, whose applications range from quantum simulation to state-controlled quantum chemistry.

The RbSr $^2\Sigma^+$ ground state investigated via spectroscopy of hot & ultracold molecules

Abstract: We report on spectroscopic studies of hot and ultracold RbSr molecules, and combine the results in an analysis that allows us to fit a potential energy curve (PEC) for the X(1)$^2\Sigma^+$ ground state bridging the short-to-long-range domains. The ultracold RbSr molecules are created in a $\mu$K sample of Rb and Sr atoms and probed by two-colour photoassociation spectroscopy. The data yield the long-range dispersion coefficients $C_6$ and $C_8$, along with the total number of supported bound levels. The hot RbSr molecules are created in a $1000 \,$K gas mixture of Rb and Sr in a heat-pipe oven and probed by thermoluminescence and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. We compare the hot molecule data with spectra we simulated using previously published PECs determined by three different ab-initio theoretical methods. We identify several band heads corresponding to radiative decay from the B(2)$^2\Sigma^+$ state to the deepest bound levels of X(1)$^2\Sigma^+$. We determine a mass-scaled high-precision model for X(1)$^2\Sigma^+$ by fitting all data using a single fit procedure. The corresponding PEC is consistent with all data, thus spanning short-to-long internuclear distances and bridging an energy gap of about 75% of the potential well depth, still uncharted by any experiment. We benchmark ab-initio PECs against our results, and give the PEC fit parameters for both X(1)$^2\Sigma^+$ and B(2)$^2\Sigma^+$ states. As first outcomes of our analysis, we calculate the $s$-wave scattering properties for all stable isotopic combinations and corroborate the locations of Fano-Feshbach resonances between alkali Rb and closed-shell Sr atoms recently observed [Barbe et al., Nat. Phys., 2018, DOI:10.1038/s41567-018-0169-x]. These results should greatly contribute to the generation of ultracold alkali$-$alkaline-earth dimers, whose applications range from quantum simulation to quantum chemistry.

Observation of Feshbach resonances between alkali and closed-shell atoms

Abstract: Magnetic Feshbach resonances are an invaluable tool for controlling ultracold atoms and molecules. They can be used to tune atomic interactions and have been used extensively to explore few- and many-body phenomena. They can also be used for magnetoassociation, in which pairs of atoms are converted into molecules by ramping an applied magnetic field across a resonance. Pairs of open-shell atoms, such as the alkalis, chromium, and some lanthanides, exhibit broad resonances because the corresponding molecule has multiple electronic states. However, molecules formed between alkali and closed-shell atoms have only one electronic state and no broad resonances. Narrow resonances have been predicted in such systems, but until now have eluded observation. Here we present the first observation of magnetic Feshbach resonances in a system containing a closed-shell atom, Sr, interacting with an alkali atom, Rb. These resonances pave the way to creating an ultracold gas of strongly polar, open-shell molecules, which will open up new possibilities for designing quantum many-body systems and for tests of fundamental symmetries.

Rotational Spectroscopy of Diatomic Molecules

Abstract: 1. General introduction 2. The separation of nuclear and electronic motion 3. The electronic hamiltonian 4. Interactions arising from nuclear magnetic and electric moments 5. Angular momentum theory and spherical tensor algebra 6. Electronic and vibrational states 7. Derivation of the effective hamiltonian 8. Molecular beam magnetic and electric resonance 9. Microwave and far-infrared magnetic resonance 10. Pure rotational spectroscopy 11. Double resonance spectroscopy Appendices.

Ultracold molecules for quantum simulation: rotational coherences in CaF and RbCs

Abstract: Polar molecules offer a new platform for quantum simulation of systems with long-range interactions, based on the electrostatic interaction between their electric dipole moments. Here, we report the development of coherent quantum state control using microwave fields in $^{40}$Ca$^{19}$F and $^{87}$Rb$^{133}$Cs molecules, a crucial ingredient for many quantum simulation applications. We perform Ramsey interferometry measurements with fringe spacings of $\sim 1~\rm kHz$ and investigate the dephasing time of a superposition of $N=0$ and $N=1$ rotational states when the molecules are confined. For both molecules, we show that a judicious choice of molecular hyperfine states minimises the impact of spatially varying transition-frequency shifts across the trap. For magnetically trapped $^{40}$Ca$^{19}$F we use a magnetically insensitive transition and observe a coherence time of 0.61(3)~ms. For optically trapped $^{87}$Rb$^{133}$Cs we exploit an avoided crossing in the AC Stark shifts and observe a maximum coherence time of 0.75(6)~ms.

Ultracold polar molecules as qudits

Abstract: We discuss how the internal structure of ultracold molecules, trapped in the motional ground state of optical tweezers, can be used to implement qudits. We explore the rotational, fine and hyperfine structure of $^{40}$Ca$^{19}$F and $^{87}$Rb$^{133}$Cs, which are examples of molecules with $^2\Sigma$ and $^1\Sigma$ electronic ground states, respectively. In each case we identify a subset of levels within a single rotational manifold suitable to implement a 4-level qudit. Quantum gates can be implemented using two-photon microwave transitions via levels in a neighboring rotational manifold. We discuss limitations to the usefulness of molecular qudits, arising from off-resonant excitation and decoherence. As an example, we present a protocol for using a molecular qudit of dimension $d=4$ to perform the Deutsch algorithm.

Production of a degenerate Fermi-Fermi mixture of dysprosium and potassium atoms

Abstract: We report on the realization of a mixture of fermionic $^{161}\mathrm{Dy}$ and fermionic $^{40}\mathrm{K}$ where both species are deep in the quantum-degenerate regime. Both components are spin polarized in their absolute ground states, and the low temperatures are achieved by means of evaporative cooling of the dipolar dysprosium atoms together with sympathetic cooling of the potassium atoms. We describe the trapping and cooling methods, in particular the final evaporation stage, which leads to Fermi degeneracy of both species. Analyzing cross-species thermalization we obtain an estimate of the magnitude of the interspecies $s$-wave scattering length at low magnetic field. We demonstrate magnetic levitation of the mixture as a tool to ensure spatial overlap of the two components. The properties of the Dy-K mixture make it a very promising candidate to explore the physics of strongly interacting mass-imbalanced Fermi-Fermi mixtures.

Feshbach Resonances in p -Wave Three-Body Recombination within Fermi-Fermi Mixtures of Open-Shell Li 6 and Closed-Shell Yb 173 Atoms

Abstract: We report on the observation of magnetic Feshbach resonances in a Fermi-Fermi mixture of ultracold atoms with extreme mass imbalance and on their unique p-wave dominated three-body recombination processes. Our system consists of open-shell alkali-metal 6Li and closed-shell 173Yb atoms, both spin polarized and held at various temperatures between 1 and 20 μK. We confirm that Feshbach resonances in this system are solely the result of a weak separation-dependent hyperfine coupling between the electronic spin of 6Li and the nuclear spin of 173Yb. Our analysis also shows that three-body recombination rates are controlled by the identical fermion nature of the mixture, even in the presence of s-wave collisions between the two species and with recombination rate coefficients outside the Wigner threshold regime at our lowest temperature. Specifically, a comparison of experimental and theoretical line shapes of the recombination process indicates that the characteristic asymmetric line shape as a function of applied magnetic field and a maximum recombination rate coefficient that is independent of temperature can only be explained by triatomic collisions with nonzero, p-wave total orbital angular momentum. The resonances can be used to form ultracold doublet ground-state molecules and to simulate quantum superfluidity in mass-imbalanced mixtures.