Optimal lattice depth on lifetime of D-band ultracold atoms in a triangular optical lattice

TL;DR

This study identifies the optimal lattice depth in a triangular optical lattice that maximizes the lifetime of D-band ultracold atoms, enhancing the performance of quantum sensors and related technologies.

Contribution

The paper experimentally and numerically demonstrates the existence of an optimal lattice depth for D-band atom lifetime, considering atomic temperature effects.

Findings

Maximum lifetime at specific lattice depth where wave function overlaps are minimized.

Atomic temperature influences D-band atom lifetime.

Experimental results agree with numerical simulations.

Abstract

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices are a flexible and effective platform for quantum precision measurement, and the lifetime of high-band atoms is an essential parameter for the performance of quantum sensors. In this work, we investigate the relationship between the lattice depth and the lifetime of D-band atoms in a triangular optical lattice and show that there is an optimal lattice depth for the maximum lifetime. After loading the Bose Einstein condensate into D-band of optical lattice by shortcut method, we observe the atomic distribution in quasi-momentum space for the different evolution time, and measure the atomic lifetime at D-band with different lattice depths. The lifetime is maximized at an optimal lattice depth, where the overlaps between the wave function of D-band and other bands (mainly S-band) are minimized. Additionally, we discuss the influence of atomic temperature on lifetime. These experimental results are in agreement with our numerical simulations. This work paves the way to improve coherence properties of optical lattices, and contributes to the implications for the development of quantum precision measurement, quantum communication, and quantum computing.