Optical lattices are very useful systems for quantum simulation and studying quantum many body systems.  In their excellently named manuscript: Shaken not stirred: creating exotic angular momentum states by shaking an optical lattice, Kiely et al propose a method to produce higher orbital states of cold atoms in an optical lattice.  Their method involves ‘shaking’ the lattice (changing the positions of the minima in the trap).  The image below shows the target state of their method, with the atoms in an anti-ferromagnetic arrangment in the lattice.

Diagram of final state of each atom in the lattice. Each site contains one atom in state |±> with angular momentum ≈ ±ħ, taken from Anthony Kiely et al 2016 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 49 215003, © IOP Publishing Ltd, 2016

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Image taken from Anthony Kiely et al 2016 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 49 215003. Image (c) IOP Publishing. All rights reserved.

Categories: Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

Tags: Atomic and molecular physics, Image of the week, Lattice, Optical physics, ultra cold atoms