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Mott insulator of ultracold alkaline-earth-metal-like atoms

Takeshi Fukuhara, Seiji Sugawa, Masahito Sugimoto, Shintaro Taie, and Yoshiro Takahashi
Phys. Rev. A 79, 041604(R) – Published 20 April 2009
Physics logo See Viewpoint: A new phase for ytterbium atoms

Abstract

The transition from a superfluid to a Mott-insulator (MI) phase has been observed in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of ytterbium (Yb) atoms in an optical lattice. An all-optically produced BEC of Y174b atoms was loaded into three-dimensional optical lattices produced by a 532 nm laser beam. The interference pattern was measured after releasing the quantum gas from the trapping potential. As increasing the optical lattice depth, we observed the disappearance of the interference patterns, which is a signature of entering the MI regime. This result is an important step into studies by using a combination of the MI state and the ultranarrow optical transition of ultracold alkaline-earth-metal-like atoms.

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  • Received 14 January 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.79.041604

©2009 American Physical Society

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A new phase for ytterbium atoms

Published 20 April 2009

In a cooled and trapped cloud of ytterbium atoms, the transition from a superfluid to an insulating state has been observed, opening up new possibilities for precision measurements, optical clocks, and quantum computing.

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Authors & Affiliations

Takeshi Fukuhara1, Seiji Sugawa1, Masahito Sugimoto1, Shintaro Taie1, and Yoshiro Takahashi1,2

  • 1Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
  • 2CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan

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Issue

Vol. 79, Iss. 4 — April 2009

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