Veselago lensing with ultracold atoms in an optical lattice
arXiv:1402.3132 · doi:10.1038/ncomms4327
Abstract
Veselago pointed out that electromagnetic wave theory allows for materials with a negative index of refraction, in which most known optical phenomena would be reversed. A slab of such a material can focus light by negative refraction, an imaging technique strikingly different from conventional positive refractive index optics, where curved surfaces bend the rays to form an image of an object. Here we demonstrate Veselago lensing for matter waves, using ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. A relativistic, i.e. photon-like, dispersion relation for rubidium atoms is realized with a bichromatic optical lattice potential. We rely on a Raman -pulse technique to transfer atoms between two different branches of the dispersion relation, resulting in a focusing completely analogous to the effect described by Veselago for light waves. Future prospects of the demonstrated effects include novel sub-de Broglie wave imaging applications.
References in corpus (7)
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Cited by in corpus (8)
- Experimental control of transport resonances in a coherent quantum rocking ratchet
- Experimental Realization of a Relativistic Harmonic Oscillator
- A Toolbox for Linear Optics in a 1D Lattice via Minimal Control
- Veselago focusing of anisotropic massless Dirac fermions
- Phase dependent loading of Bloch bands and Quantum simulation of relativistic wave equation predictions with ultracold atoms in variably shaped optical lattice potentials
- Hidden quantum mirage by negative refraction in semiconductor P-N junctions
- Relativistic motion of an Airy wavepacket in a lattice potential
- Multiple scattering induced negative refraction of matter waves