Lichao Zhao

Antiferromagnetic Spinor Condensates in a Two-Dimensional Optical Lattice.

We experimentally demonstrate that spin dynamics and the phase diagram of spinor condensates can be conveniently tuned by a two-dimensional optical lattice. Spin population oscillations and a lattice-tuned separatrix in phase space are observed in every lattice where a substantial superfluid fraction exists. In a sufficiently deep lattice, we observe a phase transition from a longitudinal polar phase to a broken-axisymmetry phase in steady states of lattice-confined spinor condensates. The steady states are found to depend sigmoidally on the lattice depth and exponentially on the magnetic field. We also introduce a phenomenological model that semiquantitatively describes our data without adjustable parameters.

Mapping the phase diagram of spinor condensates via adiabatic quantum phase transitions

We experimentally study two quantum phase transitions in a sodium spinor condensate immersed in a microwave dressing field. We also demonstrate that many previously unexplored regions in the phase diagram of spinor condensates can be investigated by adiabatically tuning the microwave field across one of the two quantum phase transitions. This method overcomes two major experimental challenges associated with some widely used methods, and is applicable to other atomic species. Agreements between our data and the mean-field theory for spinor Bose gases are also discussed.

Simple and efficient all-optical production of spinor condensates

We present a simple and optimal experimental scheme for an all-optical production of a sodium spinor Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). With this scheme, we demonstrate that the number of atoms in a pure BEC can be greatly boosted by a factor of 5 in a simple setup that includes a single-beam optical trap or a crossed optical trap. This optimal scheme avoids technical challenges associated with some all-optical BEC methods, and can be applied to other optically trappable atomic species. In addition, we find a good agreement between our theoretical model and data. The upper limit for the efficiency of evaporative cooling in all-optical BEC approaches is also discussed.