Article,
High-resolution imaging and manipulation of ultracold fermions
(Nov 3, 2010)
Abstract
We report on the local probing and manipulation of an ultracold Fermi gas on
the length scale of one micrometer, i.e. of the order of the Fermi wavelength.
The essential tool of our experimental setup is a pair of identical,
high-resolution microscope objectives. One of the microscope objectives allows
local imaging of the trapped Fermi gas of 6Li atoms with a maximum resolution
of 660 nm, while the other enables the generation of arbitrary optical dipole
potentials on the same length scale. Employing a 2D acousto-optical deflector,
we demonstrate the formation of several trapping geometries including a tightly
focussed single optical dipole trap, a 4x4-site two-dimensional optical lattice
and a 8-site ring lattice configuration. Furthermore, we show the ability to
load and detect a small number of atoms in these trapping potentials. A site
separation of down to one micrometer in combination with the low mass of 6Li
results in tunneling rates which are sufficiently large for the implementation
of Hubbard-models with the designed geometries.
