Physics & Astronomy

We have used the narrow 2S 1/2 → 3P 3/2 transition in the ultraviolet (UV) to laser cool and magneto-optically trap (MOT) 6 Li atoms. Laser cooling of lithium is usually performed on the 2S 1/2 → 2P 3/2 (D2) transition, but unresolved hyperfine structure in the excited state hinders the attainment of sub-Doppler temperatures by polarization gradient cooling. Temperatures of roughly twice the Doppler limit, or ∼300 µK for lithium, are typically achieved. The linewidth of the UV transition is seven times narrower than the D2 line, resulting in lower Doppler cooling temperatures. We show that a MOT operating on the UV transition reaches temperatures as low as 59 µK. Furthermore, we show that the light shift of the UV transition in an optical dipole trap at 1070 nm is small and blue-shifted, facilitating efficient loading from the UV MOT. Evaporative cooling of a two spin-state mixture of 6 Li in the optical trap produces a quantum degenerate Fermi gas with 3 × 10 6 atoms in only 11 s.

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices have great potential to contribute to a better understanding of some of the most important issues in many-body physics, such as high-temperature superconductivity. The Hubbard model-a simplified representation of fermions moving on a periodic lattice-is thought to describe the essential details of copper oxide superconductivity. This model describes many of the features shared by the copper oxides, including an interaction-driven Mott insulating state and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state. Optical lattices filled with a two-spin-component Fermi gas of ultracold atoms can faithfully realize the Hubbard model with readily tunable parameters, and thus provide a platform for the systematic exploration of its phase diagram. Realization of strongly correlated phases, however, has been hindered by the need to cool the atoms to temperatures as low as the magnetic exchange energy, and also by the lack of reliable thermometry. Here we demonstrate spin-sensit...

We characterize the Mott insulating regime of a repulsively interacting Fermi gas of ultracold atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. We use in-situ imaging to extract the central density, and determine the local compressibility as a function of local density and interactions by making use of the variation of the chemical potential arising from the confining potential of the optical lattice. For strong interactions, we observe the emergence of a density plateau and a reduction of the compressibility at a density of one atom per site, consistent with the formation of a Mott insulator. Comparisons to numerical simulations of the Hubbard model set an upper limit for the temperature. We show that measurements of the local compressibility are useful for thermometry in a temperature regime above that where magnetic ordering develops.

We characterize the Mott insulating regime of a repulsively interacting Fermi gas of ultracold atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. We use in-situ imaging to extract the central density, and determine the local compressibility as a function of local density and interactions by making use of the variation of the chemical potential arising from the confining potential of the optical lattice. For strong interactions, we observe the emergence of a density plateau and a reduction of the compressibility at a density of one atom per site, consistent with the formation of a Mott insulator. Comparisons to numerical simulations of the Hubbard model set an upper limit for the temperature. We show that measurements of the local compressibility are useful for thermometry in a temperature regime above that where magnetic ordering develops.

We use ultracold spin-1/2 atomic fermions (6 Li) to realize the Hubbard model on a three-dimensional (3D) optical lattice. At relatively high temperatures and at densities near half-filling, we show that the gas forms a Mott insulator with unordered spins. To observe antiferromagnetic order that is predicted to occur at lower temperatures, we developed the compensated optical lattice method to evaporatively cool atoms in the lattice. This cooling has enabled the detection of short-range magnetic order by spin-sensitive Bragg scattering of light.

We investigated the effects of cross sectional geometry on surface plasmon polariton propagation in gold nanowires (NWs) using bleach-imaged plasmon propagation and electromagnetic simulations. Chemically synthesized NWs have pentagonally twinned crystal structures, but recent advances in synthesis have made it possible to amplify this pentagonal shape to yield NWs with a five-pointed-star cross section and sharp end tips. We found experimentally that NWs with a five-pointed-star cross section, referred to as SNWs, had a shorter propagation length for surface plasmon polaritons at 785 nm, but a higher effective incoupling efficiency compared to smooth NWs with a pentagonal cross section, labeled as PNWs. Electromagnetic simulations revealed that the electric fields were localized at the sharp ridges of the SNWs, leading to higher absorptive losses and hence shorter propagation lengths compared to PNWs. On the other hand, scattering losses were found to be relatively uncorrelated with cross sectional geometry, but were strongly dependent on the plasmon mode excited. Our results provide insight into the shape-dependent waveguiding properties of chemically synthesized metal NWs and the mode-dependent loss mechanisms that govern surface plasmon polariton propagation.

Graphene has emerged as an outstanding material for optoelectronic applications due to its high electronic mobility and unique doping capabilities. Here we demonstrate electrical tunability and hybridization of plasmons in graphene nanodisks and nanorings down to 3.7 μm light wavelength. By electrically doping patterned graphene arrays with an applied gate voltage, we observe radical changes in the plasmon energy and strength, in excellent quantitative agreement with rigorous analytical theory. We further show evidence of an unexpected increase in plasmon lifetime with growing energy. Plasmon hybridization and electrical doping in nanorings of suitably chosen nanoscale dimensions are key elements for bringing the optical response of graphene closer to the near-infrared, where it can provide a robust, integrable platform for light modulation, switching, and sensing.

Neighboring fused heptamers can support magnetic plasmons due to the generation of antiphase ring currents in the metallic nanoclusters. In this paper, we use such artificial plasmonic molecules as basic elements to construct low-loss plasmonic waveguides and devices. These magnetic plasmon-based complexes exhibit waveguiding functionalities including plasmon steering over large-angle bends, splitting at intersections, and MachÀZehnder interference between consecutive Y-splitters. Our findings provide a strategy for circumventing significant challenges in the miniaturization and high-density integration of optical circuits in integrated optics, allowing for the development of ultracompact plasmonic networks for practical applications.

Among the many extraordinary properties of graphene, its optical response allows one to easily tune its interaction with nearby molecules via electrostatic doping. The large confinement displayed by plasmons in graphene nanodisks makes it possible to reach the strong-coupling regime with a nearby quantum emitter, such as a quantum dot or a molecule.

Subradiant and superradiant plasmon modes in concentric ring/disk nanocavities are experimentally observed. The subradiance is obtained through an overall reduction of the total dipole moment of the hybridized mode due to antisymmetric coupling of the dipole moments of the parent plasmons. Multiple Fano resonances appear within the superradiant continuum when structural symmetry is broken via a nanometric displacement of the disk, due to coupling with higher order ring modes. Both subradiant modes and Fano resonances exhibit substantial reductions in line width compared to the parent plasmon resonances, opening up possibilities in optical and near IR sensing via plasmon line shape design.

We demonstrate the use of a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) equipped with a monochromator and an electron energy loss (EEL) spectrometer as a powerful tool to study localized surface plasmons in metallic nanoparticles. We find that plasmon modes can be influenced by changes in nanostructure geometry and electron beam damage and show that it is possible to delineate the two effects through optimization of specimen preparation techniques and acquisition parameters. The results from the experimental mapping of bright and dark plasmon energies are in excellent agreement with the results from theoretical modeling.

A comprehensive understanding of the type of modes and their propagation length for surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in gold nanowires is essential for potential applications of these materials as nanoscale optical waveguides. We have studied chemically synthesized single gold nanowires by a novel technique called bleach-imaged plasmon propagation (BlIPP), which relies on the plasmonic near-field induced photobleaching of a dye to report the SPP propagation in nanowires. We observed a much longer propagation length of 7.5 ( 2.0 μm at 785 nm compared to earlier reports, which found propagation lengths of ∼2.5 μm. Finite difference time domain simulations revealed that the bleach-imaged SPP is a higher order m = 1 mode and that the lowest order m = 0 mode is strongly quenched due to the loss to the dye layer and cannot be resolved by BlIPP. A comparative assessment of BlIPP with direct fluorescence imaging furthermore showed that the significant difference in propagation lengths obtained by these two techniques can be attributed to the difference in their experimental conditions, especially to the difference in thickness of the dye layer coating on the nanowire. In addition to identifying a higher order SPP mode with long propagation length, our study infers that caution must be taken in selecting indirect measurement techniques for probing SPP propagation in nanoscale metallic waveguides.

Nanoshell arrays have recently been found to possess ideal properties as a substrate for combining surface enhanced raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopies, with large field enhancements at the same spatial locations on the structure. For small interparticle distances, the multipolar plasmon resonances of individual nanoshells hybridize and form red-shifted bands, a relatively narrow band in the near-infrared (NIR) originating from quadrupolar nanoshell resonances enhancing SERS, and a very broadband in the mid-infrared (MIR) arising from dipolar resonances enhancing SEIRA. The large field enhancements in the MIR and at longer wavelengths are due to the lightning-rod effect and are well described with an electrostatic model.

Unlike silver and gold, aluminum has material properties that enable strong plasmon resonances spanning much of the visible region of the spectrum and into the ultraviolet. This extended response, combined with its natural abundance, low cost, and amenability to manufacturing processes, makes aluminum a highly promising material for commercial applications. Fabricating Al-based nanostructures whose optical properties correspond with theoretical predictions, however, can be a challenge. In this work, the Al plasmon resonance is observed to be remarkably sensitive to the presence of oxide within the metal. For Al nanodisks, we observe that the energy of the plasmon resonance is determined by, and serves as an optical reporter of, the percentage of oxide present within the Al. This understanding paves the way toward the use of aluminum as a low-cost plasmonic material with properties and potential applications similar to those of the coinage metals.