近日，法国巴黎萨克雷大学的T. Bourdel及其研究团队取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们通过单双光学势垒实现了超冷原子量子隧穿。相关研究成果已于2024年10月21日在国际知名学术期刊《物理评论A》上发表。

该研究团队实现了关于玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体通过薄排斥势垒隧穿的经典实验。特别是，研究人员展示了原子在量子散射机制下通过单个光学势垒的隧穿现象，其中原子的德布罗意波长大于势垒宽度。这种分束器可用于原子干涉测量，研究人员研究了两个势垒构成原子法布里-珀罗腔的情况。

技术上，由于使用了无相互作用的³⁹K玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体，原子的速度分布得到了降低。势垒是通过光学方法产生的，并且由于使用了数字微镜装置，其宽度是可调的。此外，这一散射实验还能够对势垒光学系统的光学像差进行原位表征。

附：英文原文

Title: Ultracold-atom quantum tunneling through single and double optical barriers

Author: R. Eid, A. Hammond, L. Lavoine, T. Bourdel

Issue&Volume: 2024/10/21

Abstract: We realize textbook experiments on Bose-Einstein condensate tunneling through thin repulsive potential barriers. In particular, we demonstrate atom tunneling though a single optical barrier in the quantum scattering regime where the de Broglie wavelength of the atoms is larger than the barrier width. Such a beam splitter can be used for atom interferometry and we study the case of two barriers creating an atomic Fabry-Pérot cavity. Technically, the velocity spread of the atoms is reduced due to the use of a  ³⁹K  Bose-Einstein condensate with no interactions. The potential barriers are created optically and their width is tunable due to the use of a digital micromirror device. In addition, our scattering experiments enable in situ characterization of the optical aberrations of the barrier optical system.

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.110.043316

Source: https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.110.043316