Self-organization processes and transport properties of light in cold atomic clouds

• Grant number: 14/19459-6
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal researcher: Romain Pierre Marcel Bachelard
• Grantee: Carlos Eduardo Máximo
• Home Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/01491-0 - Atomic clouds under stress, AP.JP
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/14324-0 - Optical binding with cold atoms, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The electromagnetic radiation that reaches our eyes every moment rarely comes from its original source. Looking for a tree or the sky, we can see the sunlight scattered by a multitude of microscopic particles. Depending on the scatterers characteristics and their collective behavior, the properties of light transport can be drastically changed. This makes collective light scattering a problem of fundamental importance. On the other hand, clouds of cold atoms have proved to be versatile platforms that allow to simulate in the laboratory more complex systems, such as photonic crystals or astrophysical systems. Particularly interesting are the collective phenomena that arise in the presence of light, such as the emergence of light mediated forces, leading to what one can call "optical stress". This project aims at using cold atomic clouds to study the light transport properties in dense media, as well as understanding how the matter reorganization process alters this transport. First, we pretend to understand how the transport properties of light are affected by optical forces and how light influences the movement of atoms. Then, we seek to understand whether the reorganization in the presence of high densities of matter or photons can lead to some singular behaviors such as "photon bubbles". Finally, we aim to find regimes where processes of particles self-organization are triggered. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MAXIMO, C. E.; BACHELARD, R.; KAISER, R. Optical binding with cold atoms. Physical Review A, v. 97, n. 4 APR 18 2018. Web of Science Citations: 3.

MAXIMO, C. E.; BACHELARD, R.; DE MORAES NETO, G. D.; MOUSSA, M. H. Y. Entanglement detection via atomic deflection. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA B-OPTICAL PHYSICS, v. 34, n. 12, p. 2452-2458, DEC 1 2017. Web of Science Citations: 0.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MÁXIMO, Carlos Eduardo. Collective scattering of light from disordered atomic clouds. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT) São Carlos.