Nearest-Neighbor Detection of Atoms in a 1D Optical Lattice by Fluorescence Imaging

M. Karski, L. Förster, J. M. Choi, W. Alt, A. Widera, and D. Meschede
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 053001 – Published 5 February 2009

Abstract

We overcome the diffraction limit in fluorescence imaging of neutral atoms in a sparsely filled one-dimensional optical lattice. At a periodicity of 433 nm, we reliably infer the separation of two atoms down to nearest neighbors. We observe light induced losses of atoms occupying the same lattice site, while for atoms in adjacent lattice sites, no losses due to light induced interactions occur. Our method points towards characterization of correlated quantum states in optical lattice systems with filling factors of up to one atom per lattice site.

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  • Received 24 July 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.053001

©2009 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Karski*, L. Förster, J. M. Choi, W. Alt, A. Widera, and D. Meschede

  • Institut für Angewandte Physik der Universität Bonn, Wegelerstrasse 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany

  • *karski@uni-bonn.de

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Vol. 102, Iss. 5 — 6 February 2009

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