Cold atoms and ions
Contents: The purpose of this course is to give the student insight into the rapid development within the field of cold atoms and ions, which has taken place since the first proposals on laser cooling of atoms and ions 20 years ago. The development of laser cooling techniques have made it possible to routinely form localized atomic clouds with temperatures of only a few micro-Kelvin. Today such clouds form the basis of a wide range of experiments in light - atom interactions, cold collisions, atom optics and Bose-Einstein condensation. With respect to ions, laser cooling allows us to form and study crystals of ions in electromagnetic traps. Furthermore, small crystals allow the manipulation of single ions, which again makes studies of fundamental quantum mechanical processes possible. In this course both theoretical and experimental aspects of the following topics will be treated:
1) Laser cooling techniques.
For example Doppler-cooling, polarization gradient cooling, Raman-cooling, and side band cooling.
2) Traps for atoms and ions
Atoms: magnetic, optical and magnetooptical traps
Ions: Paul- and Penning traps.
3) Atomic Optics
Atom optical elements, atom interferometry, atom lithography, atom microscopy.
4) Interaction of atoms/ions
Collisions between cold atoms, Bose-Einstein condensation, ion crystals.
5) Fundamental quantum mechanics with cold ions
Quantum jumps, quantum-Zeno-effect, quantum state preparation, sub/super radiant states, quantum computing.
Requirements: Af. 7 Atom, nuclear and particle physics I or Af1 Atomic physics I
Literature: Articles and notes
Course form and extent: Lectures with integrated exercises, 2-3 lessons a week in E02
Lecturer: Michael Drewsen
Points/ECTS-credits: 1/5
Semester: Autumn