Dynamics of the evaporative cooling mechanism in a crossed optical dipole trap with tunable interactions

• Grant number: 25/04085-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Christina Marques Castilho
• Grantee: Lucas Balan Pietro
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this scientific initiation project, we propose to study the dynamics of the evaporative cooling process towards Bose-Einstein condensation in a potassium-39 atomic cloud trapped in a crossed optical trap. Using the Feshbach resonance technique capable of changing the atomic interaction of potassium-39 atoms, it will be possible to explore the competition between the increase in two-body collision rates, responsible for the thermalization of the atomic cloud, and the three-body losses in order to find the best experimental route for our experiment. In addition to the experimental work, the student will seek to develop models that simulate the dynamics of cooling and losses for our case. It is worth mentioning that this scholarship is a continuation of a project already carried out by the student during the year 2024 (Process: 2024/04325-6 - budget item of the PI project Process: 2022/02709-6), in which he developed the crossed optical trap in question and participated in the optimization of atomic trapping. (AU)