Self-organization and superradiance in an atomic cloud interacting with an optical cavity

• Grant number: 22/00261-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: July 25, 2022
• End date: January 25, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Principal Investigator: Philippe Wilhelm Courteille
• Grantee: Philippe Wilhelm Courteille
• Host Investigator: Sebastian Slama
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany

Abstract

The objective of this research project is to study the eminent role that optical cavities can play in the emergence of collective effects and quantum correlations in atomic many-body systems. Superradiant enhancement of the decay of ultranarrow clock transitions in atoms resonantly driven inside optical cavities will provide next generation atomic clocks with orders of magnitude higher precisions. On the other hand, non-resonant probing of cavity modes allows for the implementation of quantum non-demolition measurement and spin-squeezing protocols. Our research group at the Instituto de Física de São Carlos studies collective effects in the scattering of light by ultracold strontium atomic clouds interacting with an optical ring cavity with the goal of realizing inertial quantum sensors with extreme sensitivity and non-destructive continuous monitoring. In order to overcome the standard quantum limit for sensitivity set by intrinsic quantum noise, we are searching for ways of implementing spin-squeezing in our sensing scheme. The research group led by Prof. S. Slama at the University of Tuebingen in cooperation with Prof. C. Zimmermann has set up an experiment aiming at studying the simultaneous collective interaction of rubidium Rydberg atoms via an optical cavity and via Rydberg blockades. New phases are expected to emerge in this system, which realizes a combined Dicke-Ising spin model of interest for novel types of quantum simulators. Via a six month research visit at Tuebingen I wish to revitalize an old and fruitful collaboration with the goal of learning, in conjunction with our partners (i) how to coherently manipulate atomic ensembles via optical cavities such as to create spin-squeezed collective states, (ii) how to identify characteristic signatures of these states in the light fields emitted by the cavity, and (iii) how to generate and identify superradiant decay on extremely weak atomic transitions. (AU)