Ytterbium in optical lattices

The goal of the Ytterbium experiment is to explore the properties of interacting atoms in optical lattices, periodic arrays of trapping sites created by interfering laser beams. Optical lattices are one of the main tools for studying ultracold atoms in a regime where interactions dominate and induce strong correlations between particles. Combining the technology of optical atomic clocks with ultracold quantum gases in optical lattices, we plan to realize a special kind of optical lattice where the atomic motion is coupled to an effective magnetic field – the “Hofstadter optical lattice”.

Team: Jérôme Beugnon, Manel Bosch, Raphaël Bouganne, Fabrice Gerbier, Alexis Ghermaoui, Rémy Vatré

Contacts: Fabrice Gerbier, Jérôme Beugnon

Collège de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris