Commensurate-Incommensurate Transition of Cold Atoms in an Optical Lattice

H. P. Büchler, G. Blatter, and W. Zwerger
Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 130401 – Published 1 April 2003

Abstract

An atomic gas subject to a commensurate periodic potential generated by an optical lattice undergoes a superfluid-Mott insulator transition. Confining a strongly interacting gas to one dimension generates an instability where an arbitrary weak potential is sufficient to pin the atoms into the Mott state; here, we derive the corresponding phase diagram. The commensurate pinned state may be detected via its finite excitation gap and the Bragg peaks in the static structure factor.

  • Figure
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  • Received 22 May 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.130401

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

H. P. Büchler, G. Blatter, and W. Zwerger*

  • Theoretische Physik, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland

  • *Present and permanent address: Sektion Physik, Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333 München, Germany.

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Vol. 90, Iss. 13 — 4 April 2003

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