Lifetimes of atoms trapped in an optical lattice in proximity of a surface

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a nearby surface affects the lifetime of atoms in an optical lattice, considering potential deviations from Newtonian gravity and the challenges in modeling atom-surface interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a complex scaling approach to analyze atom lifetimes near surfaces and explores the impact of hypothetical short-range gravitational deviations.

Findings

Surface proximity modifies atom lifetimes in optical lattices.

Potential short-range gravity deviations could influence atomic lifetimes.

Complex scaling faces challenges when applied to Casimir-Polder interactions.

Abstract

We study the lifetime of an atom trapped in an optical vertical lattice in proximity of a massive surface using a complex scaling approach. We analyze how the presence of the surface modifies the known lifetimes of Wannier-Stark states associated to Landau-Zener tunnelling. We also investigate how the existence of a hypothetical short-distance deviation from Newton's gravitational law could affect these lifetimes. Our study is relevant in order to discuss the feasibility of any atomic- interferometry experiment performed near a surface. Finally, the difficulties encountered in applying the complex-scaling approach to the atom-surface Casimir-Polder interaction are addressed.