Experimental Demonstration of Synthetic Lorentz Force on Cold Atoms by Using Radiation Pressure

The quest for synthetic magnetism in quantum degenerate atomic gases is motivated by producing controllable quantum emulators, which could mimic complex quantum systems such as interacting electrons in magnetic fields [1, 2]. Experiments on synthetic magnetic fields for neutral atoms have enabled realization of the Hall effect, Harper and Haldane Hamiltonians, and other intriguing topological effects. Here we present the first demonstration of a synthetic Lorentz force, based on the radiation pressure and the Doppler effect, in cold atomic gases captured in a Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT). Synthetic Lorentz force on cold atomic cloud is measured by recording the cloud trajectory. The observed force is perpendicular to the cloud velocity, and it is zero for the atomic cloud at rest. The proposed concept is straightforward to implement in a large volume and different geometries, it is applicable for a broad range of velocities, and it can be realized for different atomic species. The experiment is based on the theoretical proposal introduced in [3]. [1] I. Bloch, J. Dalibard, and S. Nascimbene, Nat. Phys. 8, 267 (2012). [2] J. Dalibard, F. Gerbier, G. Juzeliunas, and P. Ohberg, Rev. Mod. Phys. 83, 1523 (2011). [3] T. Dubcek, N. Santic, D. Jukic, D. Aumiler, T. Ban, and H. Buljan, Phys. Rev. A 89, 063415 (2014).