Bichromatic state-dependent disordered potential for Anderson localization of ultracold atoms

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method using bichromatic laser speckle patterns to load ultracold atoms into a disorder-sensitive state, enabling detailed studies of Anderson localization with minimal scattering.

Contribution

It presents a new technique for controlling disorder sensitivity in ultracold atoms using a bichromatic speckle pattern, combining theoretical and experimental analysis.

Findings

Successful creation of disorder-sensitive potential with low scattering rate

Demonstration of controlled loading of atoms into specific energy states

Potential for long-term observation of quantum transport phenomena

Abstract

The ability to load ultracold atoms at a well-defined energy in a disordered potential is a crucial tool to study quantum transport, and in particular Anderson localization. In this paper, we present a new method for achieving that goal by rf transfer of atoms of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate from a disorder insensitive state to a disorder sensitive state. It is based on a bichromatic laser speckle pattern, produced by two lasers whose frequencies are chosen so that their light-shifts cancel each other in the first state and add-up in the second state. Moreover, the spontaneous scattering rate in the disorder-sensitive state is low enough to allow for long observation times of quantum transport in that state. We theoretically and experimentally study the characteristics of the resulting potential.