Prerequisites
There are no special requirements for taking this course, apart from a good knowledge of quantum physics (e.g. from the "Advanced Quantum Physics" Part II course).
Learning Outcomes and Assessment
The ability to cool and control atoms by laser light has given a completely new twist to the traditional field of atomic physics (the 1997, 2001, 2005, 2012 and 2018 Nobel prizes in physics highlighted some of the developments in this field). Macroscopic quantum phenomena such as Bose-Einstein condensation have become experimentally accessible and the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics have been studied in new ways and with unprecedented precision. This course will serve as an introduction to this exciting field and give insight into the current state of research. Emphasis will be put on the connection between theory and experimental observations.
Synopsis
Introduction and revision of basic concepts: Bohr’s theory, Einstein A&B coefficients, Stern-Gerlach experiment
Atomic structure: Hydrogen atom, fine structure, Lamb shift, hyperfine structure, electric dipole transitions, selection rules, Zeeman effect, magnetic dipole transitions, alkali atoms
Fundamentals of atom-laser interaction: Driven two-level system, Ramsey spectroscopy and atomic clocks, density matrix, optical Bloch equations, dissipation, cross-sections & line shapes, ac Stark effect, two-photon transitions
Laser cooling & trapping: Scattering force, slowing of atomic beams, optical molasses, Doppler cooling limit, magneto-optical trap, optical dipole trap, Sisyphus cooling below the Doppler limit
Evaporative cooling and Bose-Einstein condensation of atomic gases: Requirements, magnetic trapping, evaporative cooling, critical temperature, condensate fraction, experimental observation of Bose-Einstein condensation
Properties of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates: Atomic interactions, macroscopic wave function, matter-wave interference, Gross-Pitaevskii equation, Thomas-Fermi approximation, Bogoliubov excitation spectrum, superfluidity.
BOOKS
Atomic Physics, Foot C J, (Oxford University Press)
Laser Cooling and Trapping, Metcalf H & van der Straten P (Springer - Verlag)
Bose-Einstein Condensation in Dilute Gases, Pethick C J & Smith H (CUP)