Influence of thermal effects on atomic Bloch oscillation

Abstract

Advancements in the experimental toolbox of cold atoms have enabled the meticulous control of atomic Bloch oscillation (BO) within optical lattices, thereby enhancing the capabilities of gravity interferometers. This work delves into the impact of thermal effects on Bloch oscillation in 1D accelerated optical lattices aligned with gravity by varying the system’s initial temperature. Through the application of Raman cooling, we effectively reduce the longitudinal thermal effect, stabilizing the longitudinal coherence length over the timescale of its lifetime. The atomic losses over multiple Bloch periods are measured, which are primarily attributed to transverse excitation. Furthermore, we identify two distinct inverse scaling behaviors in the oscillation lifetime scaled by the corresponding density with respect to temperatures, implying diverse equilibrium processes within or outside the Bose−Einstein condensate (BEC) regime. The competition between the system’s coherence and atomic density leads to a relatively smooth variation in the actual lifetime versus temperature. Our findings provide valuable insights into the interaction between thermal effects and BO, offering avenues for the refinement of quantum measurement technologies.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Bloch oscillation / optical lattice / thermal effects / cold atoms / Raman cooling

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Declarations

The authors declare that they have no competing interests and there are no conflicts.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Z. Yu and L. Kong for useful discussions. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant Nos. 2021YFA0718300 and 2021YFA1400900), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11920101004, 11934002, and 92365208), the Science and Technology Major Project of Shanxi (Grant No. 202101030201022), and the Space Application System of China Manned Space Program.

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