Experimental studies of excitations in a BEC in light-induced gauge fields

POSTER

Abstract

We present our experimental studies of various excitation processes in a $^{87}$Rb Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in the presence of Raman light-induced gauge fields. We have systematically studied controllable inter-band excitations by modulating the strength of the Raman coupling, and probed the resultant decay from the upper dressed bands and heating of the BEC. We also present preliminary results probing the effects of synthetic spin-orbit coupling and gauge fields on collective excitations as well as photoassociation processes in the BEC.

Authors

  • Chuan-Hsun Li

    School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA

  • David Blasing

    Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA

  • Abraham Olson

    Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA

  • Robert Niffenegger

    Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA, Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Purdue University

  • Yong P. Chen

    Purdue University, Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA, Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A.