Coherent control of BEC tunneling and generation of macroscopic entangled states

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Christoph Weiß
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2005 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5454635

This project aims, from a theoretical viewpoint, at the controlled manipulation of Bose-Einstein condensates in double well potentials, and the preparation of entangled many-body states, such as high-fidelity Schrödinger cat states. These states are of principal interest for fundamental physics, for exploring the boundary between classical and quantum physics and for shedding light on the measurement process. They are also important for practical applications, such as interferometry, frequency standards, and possibly quantum information processing. In a first step, the concept of coherent destruction of tunneling, previously discussed for single particles, will be applied to Bose-Einstein condensates. While this effect requires a periodic, monochromatic modulation of the trapping potential, we will consider more general variations of the system parameters in a second step, in order to reach specific target states. In a third step, we will include decoherence mechanisms, such as atom loss, and optimize our schemes.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1116: Interactions in ultracold and molecular gases
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Martin Holthaus