Ultracold Atom-Ion Systems in Hybrid Traps

Abstract

This thesis deals with the theoretical description of a hybrid system of an ultracold neutral atom and a single ion. These hybrid atom-ion systems have attracted significant interest in recent years. They combine the key advantages of ultracold neutral atoms and ions. In particular, neutral atoms are easily scalable and can be prepared in large numbers, while trapped ions can be stored for much longer times and are easy to control. Some of the proposed prospects of the hybrid quantum systems include sympathetic cooling of trapped ions, ultracold chemistry, quantum information processing, and atom-ion quantum simulators. These applications require extremely precise control and thus very accurate theoretical modeling. A new method that allows for a full sixdimensional treatment of two particles in spatially separated three-dimensional trapping potentials was developed. By allowing for the spatial displacement between the trapping potentials, it is possible to describe the controlled motion of a single ion through an optical-lattice potential filled with neutral atoms. The interaction between the neutral atom and the ion is modeled using realistic BornOppenheimer potential curves from ab initio quantum chemistry calculations. An application of the developed approach to the hybrid atom-ion system of 7Li+ 2 isotope reveals avoided crossings between the molecular bound states and the unbound trap states as a function of the separation between the two traps. These avoided crossings correspond to trap-induced resonances. This finding confirms the trap-induced resonances predicted earlier based on quantum-defect-theory calculations. Also, the recently found inelastic confinement-induced resonances in ultracold neutral atoms are demonstrated to be present in atom-ion systems. These resonances arise due to the coupling between the center-of-mass and relative motions. The inelastic confinement-induced resonances could be used in coherent molecular ion formation and in the determination of atom-ion scattering properties like the scattering lengths.