Speaker
Description
Hybrid ion-atom systems combine the benefits of a single, well-controlled ion with those of a many-body quantum gas, offering prospects for quantum simulation, ultracold chemistry, and charged impurity physics [1, 2]. For the latter, the longer range of the atom-ion interaction, compared to that between two neutrals, is expected to give rise to interesting behaviour, for example the formation of a much larger polaron than in studies of neutral impurities. Furthermore, the excellent degree of control available over a single charged impurity has prospects for its use as a sensitive probe to give information about the bath in which it is immersed. It has been suggested that studies of few-body chemical processes in atom-ion experiments could provide valuable insight into the many-body behaviour of this system [3]. In this talk, I will present recent observations of chemical reactions between a single Yb+ ion and Li₂ dimers in an ultracold cloud, leading to the formation of a LiYb+ molecular ion [4]. We find this to be an unexpected example of the ion probing the atom cloud for trace quantities of dimers. Furthermore, I will outline recent experimental upgrades used to manipulate our atom cloud, increasing its density and preparing a new mixture of spin states. These upgrades have prospects for future studies of a single ionic impurity in a bath cooled to degeneracy, in particular one that is in the BEC-BCS crossover regime.
Relevant publications (optional)
Observation of chemical reactions between a trapped ion and ultracold Feshbach dimers, H. Hirzler, R.S. Lous, E. Trimby, J. Pérez-Ríos, A. Safavi-Naini and R. Gerritsma, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 103401 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.103401
Buffer gas cooling of ions in time-dependent traps using ultracold atoms, E. Trimby, H. Hirzler, H. Fürst, A. Safavi-Naini, R. Gerritsma and R. S. Lous, New Journal of Physics 24, 035004 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ac5759
Trap-assisted complexes in cold atom-ion collisions, H. Hirzler, E. Trimby, R. Gerritsma, A. Safavi-Naini and J. Pérez-Ríos, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 143003 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.143003
References
[1] M. Tomza et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 91, 035001 (2019).
[2] R. S. Lous and R. Gerritsma, Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 71 (2022).
[3] J. Pérez-Ríos, Mol. Phys. 119, 8 (2021).
[4] H. Hirzler et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 103401 (2022).
Short bio (50 words) or link to website
For my PhD, I work on experiments in which a single trapped ion is immersed in a cloud of ultracold neutral atoms. My focus is on optimized cooling of the system to energies in which quantum effects begin to dominate, as well as observations of cold chemistry.
| Career stage | Student |
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