Sensitive measurement of forces at the micron scale using bloch oscillations of ultracold atoms

Year: 2005

Authors: Carusotto I., Pitaevskii L., Stringari S., Modugno G., Inguscio M.

Autors Affiliation: Ist Nazl Fis Mat, BEC, CRS, I-38050 Trento, Italy; Univ Trent, Dipartimento Fis, I-38050 Povo, Italy; Ecole Normale Super, Lab Kastler Brossel, F-75231 Paris, France; Coll France, F-75231 Paris, France; Univ Florence, LENS, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Florence, Dipartimento Fis, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; INFM, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

Abstract: We show that Bloch oscillations of ultracold fermionic atoms in the periodic potential of an optical lattice can be used for a sensitive measurement of forces at the micrometer length scale, e.g., in the vicinity of a dielectric surface. In particular, the proposed approach allows us to perform a local and direct measurement of the Casimir-Polder force which is, for realistic experimental parameters, as large as 10(-4) gravity.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Volume: 95 (9)      Pages from: 93202-1  to: 93202-4

KeyWords: Bloch oscillations; Casimir-Polder force; Experimental parameters; Optical lattice
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.093202

Citations: 90
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