Gerbier F, Fölling S, Widera A, Mandel O, Bloch I. Probing number squeezing of ultracold atoms across the superfluid-Mott insulator transition.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2006;
96:090401. [PMID:
16606244 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.96.090401]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2005] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of on-site number fluctuations of ultracold atoms in optical lattices is experimentally investigated by monitoring the suppression of spin-changing collisions across the superfluid-Mott insulator transition. For low atom numbers, corresponding to an average filling factor close to unity, large on-site number fluctuations are necessary for spin-changing collisions to occur. The continuous suppression of spin-changing collisions is thus direct evidence for the emergence of number-squeezed states. In the Mott insulator regime, we find that spin-changing collisions are suppressed until a threshold atom number, consistent with the number where a Mott plateau with doubly occupied sites is expected to form.
Collapse