Tena Dubček

Synthetic Lorentz force in classical atomic gases via Doppler effect and radiation pressure

We theoretically predict synthetic Lorentz force for classical (cold) atomic gases, which is based on the Doppler effect and radiation pressure. A fai

Experimental Demonstration of a Synthetic Lorentz Force by Using Radiation Pressure

Synthetic magnetism in cold atomic gases opened the doors to many exciting novel physical systems and phenomena. Ubiquitous are the methods used for the creation of synthetic magnetic fields. They include rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensates employing the analogy between the Coriolis and the Lorentz force, and laser-atom interactions employing the analogy between the Berry phase and the Aharonov-Bohm phase. Interestingly, radiation pressure - being one of the most common forces induced by light - has not yet been used for synthetic magnetism. We experimentally demonstrate a synthetic Lorentz force, based on the radiation pressure and the Doppler effect, by observing the centre-of-mass motion of a cold atomic cloud. The force is perpendicular to the velocity of the cold atomic cloud, and zero for the cloud at rest. Our novel concept is straightforward to implement in a large volume, for a broad range of velocities, and can be extended to different geometries.

Laser assisted tunneling in a Tonks–Girardeau gas

We investigate the applicability of laser assisted tunneling in a strongly interacting one-dimensional (1D) Bose gas (the Tonks– Girardeau gas) in optical lattices. We find that the stroboscopic dynamics of the Tonks–Girardeau gas in a continuous Wannier–Stark- ladder potential, supplemented with laser assisted tunneling, effectively realizes the ground state of 1D hard-core bosons in a discrete lattice with nontrivial hopping phases. We compare observables that are affected by the interactions, such as the momentum distribution, natural orbitals and their occupancies, in the time-dependent continuous system, to those of the ground state of the discrete system. Stroboscopically, we find an excellent agreement, indicating that laser assisted tunneling is a viable technique for realizing novel ground states and phases with hard- core 1D Bose gases.

Grating assisted tunneling in photonic lattices: The Harper-Hofstadter Hamiltonian

We present a grating assisted tunneling scheme for creating tunable synthetic magnetic fields in optically induced one- and two-dimensional (dielectric) photonic lattices [1]. As a signature of the synthetic magnetic fields, we present conical diffraction patterns in lattices with Dirac points in k-space. We compare the light propagation in these realistic (continuous) systems with the evolution in discrete models representing the Harper-Hofstadter Hamiltonian, and obtain excellent agreement.