| One — two — three — many: The ultimate limit of imaging neutral atoms in free space. Based on our recent advances, In this project you will take imaging to its very limits using a novel fluorescence imaging technique.The work will be based in the BEC at IESL and Cretan Matter Waves groups under the supervision of Wolf von Klitzing. |
Abstract
The particle-wave duality is still one of the most exciting ideas of Quantum Mechanics. In recent years Bose-Einstein-Condensates (BECs) have given us for the first time access to coherent matter-waves with a large number of atoms. The conjugate of the coherent state is the Fock state, where the atom number is precisely known. Imaging a BEC with single atom resolution would project the coherent state onto a spatially resolved Fock state, thus allowing us to study its correlation functions in great detail.
Recently, we have developed dark-ground imaging as a novel ultra-sensitive imaging technique. Based on the existing infrastructure of this project, you will test and implement a custom-made Zeiss objective, which will push the resolution limit down to little more than one micro meter. The associated increase in the photon-collection efficiency will allow us for the first time to image free single neutral atoms in situ. Together, we will then integrate BEC1 setup, where we will look at Bose-Einstein Condensation at very low atom numbers. The project is expected to yield one or two publications.
The successful candidate will either already be enrolled in a Master Programme (either at the University of Crete or elsewhere), or will have to apply separately to the Graduate School of the University of Crete.
Publication
- Ultra-sensitive atom imaging for matter-wave optics
M. Pappa, P. C. Condylis, G. O. Konstantinidis, V. Bolpasi, A. Lazoudis, O. Morizot, D. Sahagun, M. Baker, and W. von Klitzing, New Journal of Physics, 13:11 115012, 2011
Supervisor
