Programmable Doppler real-space pattern formation in cold atoms

Abstract:Red-detuned Doppler cooling decelerates atomic motion toward zero velocity, whereas blue-detuned light produces acceleration that separates a cold cloud into finite-velocity packets. Here we combine these complementary dynamics in a programmable split-stop protocol for real-space pattern formation. During each stage, a blue-detuned pulse splits existing packets and drives them apart, while a subsequent red-detuned pulse returns their center-of-mass velocities close to zero, results in spatially resolved stationary packets. Repeating this process recursively multiplies the number of packets in real space. We model the dynamics using stochastic photon-jump simulations that include absorption and spontaneous-emission recoil in one and two dimensions. Using experimentally realistic parameters for the $689~\mathrm{nm}$ ${}^{1}S_{0}\rightarrow{}^{3}P_{1}$ transition of ${}^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$, we demonstrate an 8-packet one-dimensional array and a 64-packet two-dimensional square array.

Quantum Physics (quant-ph); Atomic and Molecular Clusters (physics.atm-clus)

arXiv:2608.21689 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2608.21689v1 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2608.21689 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

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